Why is the hole in Ozone over Antarctica?

Ozone is a natural trace gas in the Earth's atmosphere. In the lower atmosphere, ozone helps to capture heat to get warm. In the upper atmosphere, the role of harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the Sun plays an even more important role. Excessive exposure to UV rays destroys skin cells, causes cancer and cataracts and can lead to macular degeneration. Without a protective layer of ozone, there would be no life on Earth as we know it. For this reason, scientists and environmentalists around the world were very concerned about the discovery of a large hole in Ozone over Antarctica.

chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), chlorine, chlorine and bromine are attributed to the creation of a hole in ozone. CFC, used in aerosol products, air -conditioning units and cooling units, were banned in 108 countries in the 80s; However, they are still used in the atmosphere from older products that are still used. In addition, experts estimate that about half of the atmosphere bromine comes from human use, along with almost the whole chlorine.

CFC enter the atmosphereRY and by exposure to other compounds of extreme cold and sunlight convert chlorine atoms. Chlorine atoms change ozone molecules to oxygen. The problem is that oxygen, even if it is good to breathe in the lower atmosphere, does not filter UV rays. CFC efficiently "open the window" in our protective atmosphere. This window or hole in Ozone is built above Antarctica.

This distant area may seem like a special place for a hole in ozone. Antarctica is uncomfortable with any permanent people and remains untouched. Why is it unknown that it is a hole above the highly populated areas where there are CFC and other greenhouse emissions? It turns out that the answer has to do with the rotation of the Earth and other climatological factors.

First, the rotating movement of Earth ensures that all Gasse or emissions relaxed in the air, whether natural or artificial, spread more or less evenly over the entire troposphere or lower atmosphere for about a yearU. According to the Agency for the Protection of the Environment (EPA), it takes anywhere from two to five years before these gases are expanded to and along the entire stratosphere or upper atmosphere. From there comes the climate play into changing CFC chemistry and their role in creating a hole in ozone.

In winter, the tilted axis of the Earth prevents sunlight at the South Pole. This causes temperatures in the atmosphere above Antarctica to fall to -108 ° Fahrenheit (-78 ° Celsius). The cold air descending from the South Pole creates a "winter vortex" circulating winds in the middle width above Antarctica and acts as a huge whirlpool. This effectively cuts ozone over Antarctica from mixing with a larger atmospheric pool of the planet.

As temperatures continue to drop in winter without the sun, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCS) or clouds of ice cubes of nitric acid, begin to form over Antarctica. CFC compounds are collected on these ice cover and combine nitric acid compounds that convert CFC to a more active FORys of chlorine. These compounds create after a long winter season.

When spring comes and the sunlight hit the clouds, UV radiation splits the mother surface of chlorine molecules into highly active chlorine atoms. Each chlorine atom can destroy a huge amount of ozone molecules and convert them to oxygen. The result is an escape process that protects the protective gases and creates a huge hole in the ozone.

Every year, scientists follow a hole in seasonally expanding and contracts. In 2005, the hole in Ozone measured a surprising 10 million square miles (25,899,881 km) or about three times the size of the United States. Only 2003 defeated this dubious record with a hole measuring 11 million miles.

As the season changes and the vortex is receding, the upper area ceases to be insulated, the temperatures rise and the opening in the ozone shrinks. However, scientists now believe that the hole does not have to be fully repaired until 2065.

although mIt can be encouraging that we have a predictive measure for recovering a hole in ozone, there is another concern. Ozone exhaustion takes place at a speed of several percent per year, most noticeably in the middle of the planet's width. While scientists seek to understand this phenomenon, people are threatened by an increased case of cancer due to a greater exposure to UV radiation, both through a thinner protective atmospheric blanket and due to a hole in the ozone. These complex conditions are also closely associated with global warming.