Iodine in Desert Dust Destroys Ozone – Could Prolong Greenhouse Gas Lifetimes
New CU Boulder study shows iodine from desert dust can decrease ozone air pollution but could prolong greenhouse gas lifetimes. When winds loft fine desert…
Ozone
Ozone 101: What Is the Ozone Hole? [Video]
Ozone 101 is the first in a series of explainer videos outlining the fundamentals of popular Earth science topics. Let’s back up to the basics…
2021 Antarctic Ozone Hole 13th-Largest – Will Persist Into November or Even December
The 2021 Antarctic ozone hole reached its maximum area on October 7 and ranks 13th-largest since 1979, scientists from NASA and NOAA reported on October…
Substantial Antarctic Ozone Hole in 2021 – Due to Cold Stratospheric Conditions
January 1 – October 7, 2021 A colder than usual winter atmosphere over the Southern Hemisphere led to a deep and larger-than-average ozone hole in…
What’s Going On With Earth’s Ozone Hole?
World governments agreed in the late 1980s to protect Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out ozone-depleting substances emitted by human activities, under the Montreal Protocol….
Under the Northern Lights: Mesospheric Ozone Layer Depletion Phenomenon
The same phenomenon that causes aurorae — the magical curtains of green light often visible from the polar regions of the Earth — causes mesospheric…
Rising Greenhouse Gases Pose Climate Change Threat to Arctic Ozone Layer
New study shows climate change is increasing ozone depletion over the Arctic. There is a race going on high in the atmosphere above the Arctic,…
NASA Finds Local COVID-19 Lockdowns Brought Unexpectedly Fast Global Ozone Reductions
When lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic cut local nitrogen oxide emissions, the effect on ozone pollution was global and unexpectedly rapid. As the coronavirus pandemic…
Ozone Pollution Has Increased in Antarctica – From Both Natural and Human Sources
Ozone is a pollutant at ground level, but very high in the atmosphere’s “ozone layer,” it absorbs damaging ultraviolet radiation. Past studies have examined ozone…
Research Indicates Unexpected, Illegal Production of Several Ozone-Depleting Chemicals in Recent Years
Ozone-depleting chemicals may spend less time in the atmosphere than previously thought. New results point to unexpected, illegal production of several CFCs in recent years….
NASA’s SAGE III Carries on Critical Measurements of Stratospheric Aerosols and Ozone
On the fourth anniversary of its first-light measurements, we are taking a look at some of the critical data collected by NASA’s Stratospheric Aerosol and…
MIT Researchers Predict the Oceans Will Start Emitting Ozone-Depleting CFCs
As atmospheric concentrations of CFC-11 drop, the global ocean should become a source of the chemical by the middle of next century. The world’s oceans…
COVID-19: Ozone Proved to Be Highly Efficient in Effective in Disinfecting Coronavirus
Studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 remains active on aerosols and surfaces for between several hours and several days, depending on the nature of the surface…
Ozone Hole Over the Antarctic Is One of the Largest and Deepest in Recent Years
Measurements from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite show that this year’s ozone hole over the Antarctic is one of the largest and deepest in recent years….
Mass Extinction Event Caused by Erosion of the Ozone Layer
Researchers at the University of Southampton have shown that an extinction event 360 million years ago, that killed much of the Earth’s plant and freshwater…
Unanticipated Consequences of Montreal Protocol: Ozone-Depleting Chemical Alternatives in Our Food and Water
An international environmental agreement to regulate the use of chemicals depleting the ozone layer may have inadvertently allowed higher levels of other harmful chemicals to…
NASA Reports Arctic Ozone Depletion Hit Record Low in March
Ozone levels above the Arctic reached a record low for March, NASA researchers report. An analysis of satellite observations show that ozone levels reached their…
There’s a New Hole in the Ozone Layer – This One’s Over the Arctic
Scientists using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite have noticed a strong reduction of ozone concentrations over the Arctic. Unusual atmospheric conditions, including freezing temperatures…