Does the ozone hole still exist?
In 2017, NASA announced that the ozone hole was the weakest since 1988 because of warm stratospheric conditions. It is expected to recover around 2070. The amount lost is more variable year-to-year in the Arctic than in the Antarctic.
Is the ozone hole growing or shrinking?
Due to an environmental agreement called the Montreal Protocol, the amount of chlorine and bromine in the atmosphere has been greatly reduced, which has resulted in the overall shrinking of the ozone layer hole. Levels have fallen 16% since 2000. According to NASA, the smallest ozone hole on record was in 2019.
What does the hole in the ozone layer do?
While some extra UV rays slip through the ozone hole, their net effect is to cool the stratosphere more than they warm the troposphere.
Why is the ozone hole in Australia?
The ozone layer is depleted in two ways. Firstly, the ozone layer in the mid-latitude (e.g. over Australia) is thinned, leading to more UV radiation reaching the earth. Secondly, the ozone layer over the Antarctic, and to a lesser extent the Arctic, is dramatically thinned in spring, leading to an ‘ozone hole’.
Why does Australia have a hole in the ozone layer?
What happens if the ozone layer continues to deplete?
Ozone layer depletion causes increased UV radiation levels at the Earth’s surface, which is damaging to human health. Negative effects include increases in certain types of skin cancers, eye cataracts and immune deficiency disorders. UV rays also affect plant growth, reducing agricultural productivity.
Can we make ozone?
Ozone is naturally produced through certain types of chemical reactions. It is however less known that ozone can be artificially produced, so that it can be used for water treatment. Ozone generators can create ozone artificially by means of extremely high voltages or by means of UV-light.