Largest Hole in Ozone Layer has healed itself due to reduced pollution on account of COVID – 19 Lockdown

1 million square kilometres wide over the Arctic has now healed itself

• Scientists have confirmed that the largest hole in Earth’s Ozone layer over the Arctic has closed
• The hole in the Ozone layer was first identified by the scientists this year in March which was
  caused due to the unusual atmospheric conditions
• As per the reports, the largest hole which was 1 million square km wide over the Arctic has now
  healed itself

Salient key findings

• The C3S (Copernicus Climate Change Service) and CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring
  Service) confirmed that the hole in the Ozone layer has healed
• The hole was 1 million square km wide above the Arctic. The hole was identified by the scientists
  in March 2020. It was formed due to unusual
• The European Satellite Monitoring Agency announced the development through their twitter
  handle stating that the 2020 Northern Hemisphere Ozone hole has come to an end

Reason for the healing of largest hole in Ozone layer

• As per the reports by the scientists, the reason for the healing of a 1-million square kilometer
  wide hole in the ozone layer is the polar vortex
• It is a high-altitude current that is responsible for bringing cold air to the Polar Regions
• The report also added that the closing of the hole in the Ozone layer is not due to the reduced
  level of pollution during COVID-19 lockdown
• The signs of a hole forming in the Ozone layer above the North Pole were noticed in March by the
  scientists. It was thought that it was the result of low temperature
• It was projected that the largest hole in the Ozone layer would have led to a bigger threat, had it
  been moved to the south

What is OZONE LAYER?

• The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri
  Buisson
• It is a region of Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation
• It contains high concentration of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the atmosphere,
  although still small in relation to other gases in the stratosphere
• The ozone layer contains less than 10 parts per million of ozone, while the average ozone
  concentration in Earth’s atmosphere as a whole is about 0.3 parts per million
• The ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere, from approximately 15
  to 35 kilometers (9.3 to 21.7 mi) above Earth, although its thickness varies seasonally and
  geographically
• Measurements of the sun showed that the radiation sent out from its surface and reaching the
  ground on Earth is usually consistent with the spectrum of a black body with a temperature in the
  range of 5,500–6,000 K (5,227 to 5,727 °C)

Ozone depletion or hole

• A steady lowering of about four percent in the total amount of ozone in Earth’s atmosphere (the
  ozone layer), and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone around Earth’s Polar
  Regions
• The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole. There are also springtime polar
  troposphere ozone depletion events in addition to these stratospheric events
• The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is manufactured chemicals, especially
  manufactured halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants and foam-blowing agents
  (chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, halons), referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS)

Pic courtesy : newscientist.com