Last week, the ozone hole in Antarctica reached its peak - a moderately large size for the third year
According to NASA, the ozone hole has reachedits maximum size at 26.4 million km² 5 October. This is the maximum size since 2015. Scientists said lower-than-normal temperatures over the southern polar regions at altitudes of 12 to 20 km, where the ozone hole is located, made conditions ripe for the ozone-scavenging chemical chlorine.
“The general trend is improvement."This year the situation is a little worse, all because of the colder weather," said Paul Newman, head of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, which tracks ozone depletion. “All the data suggests that the ozone is on the mend.”
A simple look at the maximum sizeThe ozone hole, especially in October, can be misleading, says leading ozone expert Susan Solomon of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The chemicals chlorine and bromine are high inatmosphere are corroding the Earth's protective ozone layer. Scientists say cold weather creates clouds that release chemicals. The colder it is, the more clouds, the larger the ozone hole.
Read more:
Created a compact nuclear reactor for safe energy production
Unusual structures found on the edge of the solar system. Only the Voyagers have been there.
Black hole 'spit out' torn star three years after swallowing