THIS spring, the hole in the Arctic ozone layer could get bigger than ever before, thanks to unusually cold conditions, European Union scientists warned on 28 January.
In the winter of 1999, a combination of CFC pollutants in the atmosphere and the coldest-ever winter led to the loss of over 65 per cent of the ozone above the Arctic. 鈥淭he meteorological conditions we are now witnessing resemble and even surpass the harsh conditions of the 1999-2000 winter, when the worst ozone loss to date was observed,鈥� says Neil Harris of the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit at the University of Cambridge.
Temperatures in the Arctic ozone layer are now at their lowest in 50 years. This is aiding the formation of polar stratospheric clouds, which alter the chemistry of the surrounding air and help convert CFCs into forms that can deplete ozone when the sun appears in the spring.
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鈥淭he conditions may even surpass the 1999-2000 winter, when ozone loss was worst鈥�
Whether this year will again see a massive loss of ozone depends on whether the clouds stick around for the next six to eight weeks, Harris says. 鈥淚f the vortex breaks up then all bets are off,鈥� he told New 杏吧原创.
