The unusual Ozone hole that developed earlier this spring and eventually turned out to be the largest one has been healing, the scientists involved in the observation process revealed.
The ozone layer is a region of earth’s stratosphere that absorbs the ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun. It had set a new record earlier this month when a huge depletion occurred in the northern hemisphere. The depleted area can easily cover the size of Greenland and stretched over the top of the polar icecap.
In the late last week, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) declared that ozone in the arctic region is healing. Scientists said, “previous smaller holes have appeared in the ozone layer over the northern hemisphere before but it was the first time you can speak about the ‘real ozone hole’ in the Arctic.”
CAMS revealed that due to unusual weather conditions the hole had been formed. According to the organization, cold temperatures and powerful winds formed a “polar vortex,” that created a frigid condition that led to ozone depletion.
The organization tweeted, “Although it looks like the polar vortex has not quite come to an end yet and will reform in the next few days, ozone values will not go back to the very low levels seen earlier in April.”
Although it looks like the #PolarVortex has not quite come to an end yet and will reform in the next few days #ozone values will not got back to the very low levels seen earlier in April.
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) April 23, 2020
To follow its development watch the CAMS ozone forecast➡️https://t.co/318yQWUDH7
Healing of atmospheric layer not an impact of coronavirus lockdown
The CAMS revealed that the healing of the ozone has nothing to do with Coronavirus lockdown. They said, “This Arctic ozone hole actually has nothing to do with corona virus-related lockdowns, but rather was caused by an unusually strong and long-lived polar vortex.”
As per reports, scientists had earlier mentioned in a report, “While we are used to ozone holes developing over the Antarctic every year during the Austral spring, the conditions needed for such strong ozone depletion are not normally found in the northern hemisphere.”
The Scientists added, “This ozone hole was basically a symptom of the larger problem of ozone depletion, and closed because of local annual cycles, not long-term healing. But, there’s hope: the ozone layer is also healing, but slowly.”
The thickness of the Ozone layer in the Southern Hemisphere changes with the season
The thickness of the Ozone layer mutates with the season. The freezing winters lead to a high altitude cloud combining with the Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are highly damaging to Ozone layer, which has been contributing towards thinning out the ozone layer from decades.
As per reports, depletion has been causing annually for the last 35 years. After the ban on CFCs, the ozone in the southern hemisphere is recovering. The 2019 Antarctic hole was the smallest one after the crisis was discovered.
As it was formed due to unusual weather circumstances, the Arctic ozone depletion was a different case and because the weather is warmer, therefore, the same high-altitude clouds do not form.
