Arctic Measurements Indicate the Chilly Prospect of Ozone Depletion
DOI: 10.1063/1.2809726
The North Pole warmed just in time this spring to avoid a possibly significant depletion of ozone. That conclusion is one outcome of the second Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition, which reported on its findings at the end of April. Earlier, in the first days of February, the participating scientists had released some preliminary results because they were alarmed at seeing very high levels of chlorine monoxide, a reactive chlorine compound associated with ozone destruction. As shown in the figure below, which is based on satellite data, the levels and extent of CLO this January were comparable to those seen during the winter months in the Antarctic, where an “ozone hole” is known to develop at that time.
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