June 1, 2006
MAN JUST DOESN'T MUCH MATTER TO THE PLANET (via Tom Morin):
The Ozone Layer's Recovering (Universe Today, 30 May 2006)
Over the last few decades, scientists have been tracking the depletion of the ozone layer in the Earth's atmosphere. A large hole still opens up over Antarctica, but ozone levels worldwide have stopped declining. The question is why. The relatively recent reduction of ozone-destroying gasses shouldn't make an improvement so quickly. NASA scientists think that atmospheric wind patterns could be transferring ozone around the planet, helping with the recovery. At this rate, we'll return to 1980 levels between 2030 and 2070.Posted by Orrin Judd at June 1, 2006 10:44 AM
Since ozone destruction is 80% catalyzed by natural molecules thrown up by volcanoes, only 20% by chlorine-containing molecules, a period of reduced volcanic activity could be the cause. Or, since ozone destruction occurs primarily at temperatures below -40 degrees, warm temperatures around the Antarctic could be the cause. Or, since wind patterns determine the mixing of low-ozone Antarctic air with high-ozone rest-of-the-world air, it could be the wind patterns, as they say (rather misleadingly, since less wind mixing would be what raises the ozone levels outside the Antarctic).
The article is also misleading in that it (a) doesn't mention that the Antarctic ozone hole is present only for six weeks in the Antarctic spring, when it's both cold and sunny, most of the year the Antarctic has plenty of ozone; (b) doesn't mention that there has never been a time when the Antarctic didn't develop an ozone hole in the spring; and (c) gives the false impression that the Antarctic ozone hole might one day close completely.
Posted by: pj at June 1, 2006 11:22 AMIt's quite simple PJ. What makes ozone? Sunlight.....
Posted by: Robert Mitchell Jr. at June 1, 2006 12:23 PMpj. "The article is also misleading ... "
These words can be the lead-in to every media outlet with few exceptions.
Posted by: erp at June 2, 2006 8:37 AM