What is the Ozone Hole? This stratospheric ozone layer protects Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet light, which can damage the DNA of plants and animals on Earth. The Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite is tasked with watching the ozone hole. All rights reserved. The ozone "hole" is really a reduction in concentrations of ozone high above the earth in the stratosphere. We Asked, You Answered. As the images show, the word hole isn’t literal; no place is empty of ozone. A severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica and over the Arctic. Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative? Despite popular beliefs, the ozone hole is not actually a hole in the ozone layer, but a region of depleted ozone in the stratosphere over the Antarctic, which occurs at the beginning of spring in the southern hemisphere, sometime between August and October. Ozone is a molecule with a strong smell and is blue in color. Ozone is a chemical consisting of three oxygen atoms bonded in a V-like shape. Inactive chlorine, which has been stored in two stable chemicals, is converted to active forms like chlorine gas, and when sunlight returns the UV light breaks the bond between chlorine atoms, releasing chlorine into the air. + The good kind of ozone The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere from 10 to 30 miles above sea level. These days, scientists understand a lot more about the ozone hole. The Arctic ozone hole is rare, as the northern hemisphere is not ordinarily prone to the strong and stable polar vortex conditions necessary to allow ozone-depleting chemicals to become concentrated and destroy ozone molecules. A depletion of ozone that occurs over Antarctica in the winter. The Protocol addressed CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform, all of which could deplete the ozone layer under the right conditions. Ozone hole definition is - an area of the ozone layer (as near the south pole) that is seasonally depleted of ozone. Certain human-made substances had reached the stratosphere and disrupted the ozone layer to the point of depletion, creating an extremely thin section commonly known as the ozone hole. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. A series of amendments to the Protocol followed in subsequent years, and by 2005 the consumption of ozone-depleting chemicals had dropped by 90 to 95% in participating countries. Ozone was discovered by Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1840. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. A severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica and over the Arctic. Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz. In 1987, as the world came to realize the impacts of CFCs on the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was developed after an intense series of international meetings and negotiations, to phase out the production of ozone-depleting chemicals by 2000. Red and yellow areas indicate the ozone hole. The Popular Story About Black Friday’s Name Is A Myth. The claim: A record-breaking Arctic ozone hole appeared and healed itself An April 27 India Times article says that an uncommonly large hole in the ozone … These chemicals escape from refrigeration and propellant devices and processes, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, large coolers and chillers, aerosol can propellants, blowing agents for making plastic foams, firefighting agents, and solvents used in dry cleaning and degreasing, etc. What Are The Causes And Effects Of Ozone Air Pollution? Using this metaphor, they can describe the hole’s size and depth. Find out what caused the ozone hole, and how the 1989 Montreal Protocol sought to put an end to ozone depletion. The depletion is caused by the destruction of ozone by CFCs and by other compounds, such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary To cook in water, just below boiling temperature. Designation of amount of such depletion as an "ozone hole" is made when the detected amount of depletion exceeds fifty percent. All rights reserved. The amount of ozone in ozone holes is about 55 to 60 percent of the normal concentration in the ozone layer. Ozone hole is the area of the Earth’s atmosphere where abnormal reductions of ozone occur, it is an annual phenomenon observed during the spring in the Polar Regions and is usually followed by a recovery during the summer.. The size of the hole fluctuates and reaches its maximum size sometime in September or October every year. Which Came First: Turkey The Bird, Or Turkey The Nation? any part of the ozone layer that has become depleted by atmospheric pollution, resulting in excess ultraviolet radiation passing through the atmosphere. In fact, CFCs can linger in the lower atmosphere for decades, and their long lifespan allows some of the chemicals to reach the stratosphere. The depletion is caused by the destruction of ozone by CFCs and by other compounds, such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl. NASA provides daily images, data, and information from satellite instruments that monitor the ozone layer and the ozone hole, a thinning break in the stratospheric ozone layer. Molecules of ozone consist of three oxygen atoms. Describe 2020 In Just One Word? km.) The ozone hole is a region where there is severe depletion of the layer of ozone — a form of oxygen — in the upper atmosphere that protects life on Earth by blocking the sun's ultraviolet rays. To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil. It has become general knowledge that chemicals called CFCs (chloroflourocarbons) are responsible for the hole in the ozone layer - in fact, scientists estimate 80% of CFCs in the stratosphere are derived from humans, not nature. The ozone hole is not technically a “hole” where no ozone is present, but is actually a region of exceptionally depleted ozone in the stratosphere over the Antarctic that happens at the beginning of Southern Hemisphere spring (August–October). The ozone layer helps to protect life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The ozone hole is defined geographically as the area wherein the total ozone amount is less than 220 Dobson Units. "The 2020 ozone hole resembles the one from 2018, which also was a quite large hole, and is definitely in the upper part of the pack of the last 15 years or so." “Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time. By April 23, it was announced the hole had closed. The ozone returns to normal levels in the summer, and the amount of depletion varies from year to year. According to simulation models, it is estimated the ozone layer will be mostly recovered by 2040. What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”? However, contrary to popular belief, the breakdown of ozone caused by chlorine does not occur immediately. There, ultraviolet light breaks down the bond holding chlorine atoms to the CFC molecule, and the free chlorine atoms are able to participate in a number of chemical reactions, which destroy ozone. The ozone hole is basically a human-caused hole in the ozone layer above the South Pole during the Southern Hemisphere’s spring. The earth’s ozone layer is composed of molecules of ozone, or O 3. These molecules provide a protective layer around the earth, absorbing a large portion of the sun’s radiation, particularly some of the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that cause sunburn. Scientists are still working to determine what made atmospheric conditions ripe for an Arctic ozone hole in 2020. Scientists use the word hole as a metaphor for the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. In 2019, the smallest ozone hole since 1982 was recorded over the Antarctica. The ozone hole has steadily grown in size (up to 27 million sq. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020. The hole is thought to be caused by a combination of the peculiarities of atmospheric circulation (see atmosphere) near the South Pole and chemical reactions involving chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere and ice crystals in clouds. and length of existence (from August through early December) over the past two decades. By Krista Conrad on May 24 2020 in Environment. The ozone layer, which lies high up in the atmosphere, shields us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that come from the Sun. Scientists spotted a rare large hole forming in late March, assumed to be caused by low temperatures at the north pole. “Epidemic” vs. “Pandemic” vs. “Endemic”: What Do These Terms Mean? We mostly hear about the ozone layer, and the importance of protecting it. Satellite instruments provide us with daily images of ozone over the Antarctic region. Most of the chlorine becomes part of two separate chemicals, which under normal circumstances are stable. In recent years, the ozone depletion has also been noted in the northern polar region. The 10 Coldest Cities In The United States. The ozone hole is defined geographically as the area wherein the total ozone amount is less than 220 Dobson Units.
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