What ever happened to the hole in the ozone layer?

Question

Is that still going to be the end of us?

Answer 1

In the 1980s the nations of the world signed the Montreal Protocol, which limited the release of chlofluorocarbons.

Since then, the ozone layer has been recovering slowly. It's not back to where it was, but it's heading there.

The Montreal Protocol is widely viewed as the most successful international environmental agreement ever.

We need something similar for global warming. Kyoto wasn't it, some nations didn't sign and others aren't living up to their obligations. Now that the data on global warming is even more solid, there's hope for action.

More info on the Montreal Protocol here;

http://www.theozonehole.com/montreal.htm

Answer 2

This makes me angry. The fact is that the 1984 Veinna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone layer resulted in ratificaion of the Montreal Protocol. So far, the aims and targets of this protocol have been extremely successful due to the phasing out of CFCs and halons by participating countries. For this reason the ozone hole has been slowly recovering. If it was not for the montreal protocol, the ozone hole would be 10 times larger in the year 2050 than it is now (which would be a huge threat to life on earth as harmful UV layers would reach our level without being filteres out). This successful phasing out of CFCs and the efforts made by participating countries is an example of how we can remediate problems caused by nobody but ourselves. In no way was it a "money making scam" as CFCs made industrial activities cheaper and more efficient. The science is there - do not judge what you dont understand. A problem does exist however with CFC replacements (HCFCs have been used due to their ability to react with gases such as OH and hence do not travel to the stratosphere) as have global warming properties. Basically, the ozone hole is still a problem but the work being done to reduce and prevent it from growing is continueing.

Answer 3

It is still there.
Why does the ozone hole form over Antarctica ? The answer is essentially 'because of the weather in the ozone layer'. In order for rapid ozone destruction to happen, clouds (known as PSCs, Stratospheric Clouds Mother of Pearl or Nacreous Clouds) have to form in the ozone layer. In these clouds surface chemistry takes place. This converts chlorine or bromine (from CFCs and other ozone depleting chemicals) into an active form, so that when there is sunlight, ozone is rapidly destroyed. Without the clouds, there is little or no ozone destruction. Only during the Antarctic winter does the atmosphere get cold enough for these clouds to form widely through the centre of the ozone layer. Elsewhere the atmosphere is just too warm and no clouds form. The northern and southern hemispheres have different 'weather' in the ozone layer, and the net result is that the temperature of the Arctic ozone layer during winter is normally some ten degrees warmer than that of the Antarctic. This means that such clouds are rare, but sometimes the 'weather' is colder than normal and they do form. Under these circumstances significant ozone depletion can take place over the Arctic, but it is usually for a much shorter period of time and covers a smaller area than in the Antarctic.

Is the ozone hole recovering ? Some reports in the media suggest that the ozone layer over Antarctica is now recovering. This message is a little confused. Recent measurements at surface monitoring stations show that the loading of ozone destroying chemicals at the surface has been dropping since about 1994 and is now about 6% down on that peak. The stratosphere lags behind the surface by several years and the loading of ozone depleting chemicals in the ozone layer is at or near the peak. Satellite measurements show that the rate of decline in ozone amount in the upper stratosphere is slowing, however the total ozone amount is still declining. The small size of the 2002 ozone hole was nothing to do with any reduction in ozone depleting chemicals and it will be a decade or more before we can unambiguously say that the ozone hole is recovering. This assumes that the decline in ozone depleting chemicals continues and that there are no other perturbations to the ozone layer, such as might be caused by a massive volcanic eruption or Tunguska like event. It will be the middle of this century or beyond before the ozone hole ceases to appear over Antarctica. What we saw in 2002 is just one extreme in the natural range of variation in the polar stratosphere and is the equivalent of an extreme in 'stratospheric weather'. By contrast the 'weather' in 2003 moved to the opposite extreme and we saw one of the largest ozone holes on record.

Global warming and the ozone hole. The ozone hole is a completely different phenomenon to global warming, however there are links between them. The ozone hole is caused by ozone depleting chemicals in the atmosphere, which have been produced by industry, for example CFCs. One link is that CFCs are also 'greenhouse gasses'. Enhanced global warming is a probable consequence of increasing amounts of 'greenhouse gasses', such as carbon dioxide and methane, in the atmosphere. Although the surface of the earth warms, higher up the atmosphere cools, thus increasing the area where stratospheric clouds can form. This makes a larger area susceptible to ozone depletion and provides another link between the two issues.

Nacreous clouds or mother of pearl clouds. Occasionally stratospheric clouds can be seen from the UK, normally during the late winter and just after sunset or before sunrise. A display was widely seen across the UK on the evening of February 16 1996. These clouds form in the stratosphere, at heights of between 10 and 30 km, when the temperature there falls below -80°C and are probably composed of ice particles with a liquid coating of nitric acid tri-hydrate. They appear bright because they are high enough to be illuminated by the sun long after local sunset and the pastel colours arise through diffraction or interference effects in much the same way that colours appear in a film of oil on a puddle of water. Occasionally seen from Scotland during the winter months, they are a once in a lifetime sighting from southern England. They are more frequently seen from the southern hemisphere, particularly from locations along the Antarctic Peninsula where the mountains create lee-waves in the upper atmosphere.

Answer 4

ROFL

yep it's there, in fact there's more than one and there getting bigger.

But the main issue at the moment is that we'll all drown from the melted ice caps before we singe to death from the lack of ozone.

Although really the hole above the arctic is the reason why massive ice shelves are collapsing everyday but i think they drummed in the fact of the lack of ozone, and are now just hammering away at other things instead.

One way or another it'll all end one day hun but i wouldn't go digging a fall out shelter in the garden just yet?!

Although??? Hang on?? Maybe i would?

hmmmm????

Anyone got a shovel?

lol

Answer 5

Pathetic, it fairly is all i will say approximately this. interior a decade or so Australia could be out of the nutrition exporting interest, by way of many components. the hollow interior the ozone layer isn't repairing. it type of feels there are nevertheless unlawful materials of CF-C's or, another agent contributing, are you able to possibly wager what that is? Cos i won't be able to do your artwork for you, frankly, i don't CARE who's IGNORANT, my existence is close to the tip, while you're under 40, whether, you would be apologetic approximately each MINUTE delay on human international impacts. That replaced into impacts, PLURAL.

Answer 6

Only the popular press has forgotten about the ozone layer, for scientists, it is still one of the major factors affecting the future of our climate. It is also one of the factors that could possibly offset the greenhouse effect - part of the reason there is uncertainty about global warming. So maybe it will be our salvation in the face of increasing CO2? You can read more at this link:

Answer 7

The ozone hole is shrinking now so we need another thing for the media to use to fill the blank spots in the news like global warming.

Answer 8

I think, after the removal of CFCs in Fridges and Aerosols etc, I think I heard that it closed itself up: Ozone replaces itself all the time, so it just replenished the disappeared/thinned parts, I think.

Answer 9

It's still there and varies with the seasons, CFC's released in years past have a detrimental effect and will continue to in the years to come. CFC bans don't fix the problem that's already there..but it does quit adding to it.

Answer 10

Didn't it end up in the big brother house and fell into obscurity after it got voted out?