Bad News: Ozone Layer Has 1 Million Square Kilometre Wide Hole Over The Arctic

While we were all cheering about the ozone layer finally getting almost healed, scientists have discovered a hole revealed by reduction in ozone concentrations over the Arctic.

EPA

In case you were wondering that a hole like this is common -- it isn¡¯t. A hole is commonly seen over the Antarctic -- which is to the south pole. Now we¡¯re seeing one on the North too.

This was spotted by Scientists from the German Aerospace Centre, looking at the data from Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite. They noticed unusually strong depletion of ozone layer over the northern polar region.

Now it is not uncommon for the Arctic to occasionally have a little depletion, however, the one recently spotted is considerably larger than the one¡¯s spotted previously, which makes it alarming.

According to Diego Loyola, from the German Aerospace Center, ¡°The ozone hole we observe over the Arctic this year has a maximum extension of less than 1 million sq km. This is small compared to the Antarctic hole, which can reach a size of around 20 to 25 million sq km with a normal duration of around 3 to 4 months.¡±

He further added, ¡°Since 14 March, the ozone columns over the Arctic have decreased to what is normally considered ¡®ozone hole levels¡¯ which are less than 220 Dobson Units. We expect the hole to close again during mid-April 2020.¡±

ESA

Researchers at ESA blame the unusual atmospheric conditions, including freezing temperatures in the stratosphere (going as low as -42 degrees celsius), as well as an extremely strong polar vortex (a swirling expanse of cold air) paired with the arrival of post-winter sunlight.

Last year, Earth witnessed the smallest ozone hole in the Antarctic. As per NASA and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) the ozone hole over Antarctica reached its peak of 6.3-million square miles on September 8 and shrank all the way to 3.9-million square miles during the remainder of September and October last year.