Summary
Antarctica
isn't the only place with an ozone hole. Lingering atmospheric
pollutants and frigid air have carved an unusually deep hole in Earth's
protective ozone layer over the Arctic, and it threatens to get deeper
this spring. Atmospheric scientists are analyzing data from weather
balloons and satellites for clues to how the ozone will fare when
sunlight—a third factor in ozone loss—returns to the Arctic. But they
are already worrying about how extra ultraviolet light might affect
humans and ecosystems below and wondering whether climate change will
make such Arctic holes more common or severe. By next week, 25% of the
Arctic ozone will be destroyed, scientists warn. But if the winds of the
polar vortex persist in keeping the stratosphere cold for another
month, ozone losses will become severe.
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