the ozone layer continues to worry

With the arrival of the austral spring in August, experts know that through different chemical and temperature mechanisms, the ozone layer is depleted at the South Pole. There is therefore a gap which appears between September and December. This closely monitored phenomenon is also visible in images on the Copernicus observation site.

But in 2023, this hole in the ozone layer was particularly early in September, and its closure, which occurred only on December 20, was later than usual. This makes the lifespan and extent of this seasonal breakthrough among the longest on record.

A worrying phenomenon

This phenomenon is worrying first of all because the ozone layer protects us. It filters the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and also protects the ice cap, preventing it from melting too quickly at the poles. What surprises scientists is that we were on the trajectory of this hole disappearing because the international policies implemented over the past 30 years have been effective.

They have made it possible to eliminate the use of certain ozone-destructive gases, gases contained, notably in refrigerators, air conditioners or aerosols. But this atypical and recent seasonal behavior of this breakthrough in the ozone layer shows that the game is not completely won.

This is explained by the impact of global warming and the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere because they also influence the complete reconstitution of the ozone layer via different mechanisms of atmospheric dynamics and chemical reactions. What is at issue here are therefore human activities, but not only that. The polar vortex can also be disrupted by greenhouse gas emissions from large forest fires or by certain volcanic eruptions. Experts therefore call for vigilance regarding the ozone layer. His recovery is not yet complete.