Open AccessScientists measure Arctic Ozone Hole
Author(s) -
Showstack Randy
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/eo078i047p00538-02
Subject(s) - stratosphere , ozone depletion , ozone , arctic , ozone layer , environmental science , climatology , polar , atmospheric sciences , total ozone mapping spectrometer , the arctic , polar vortex , polar night , satellite , meteorology , oceanography , geography , geology , physics , astronomy
A possible ozone hole has opened in the Arctic stratosphere, according to research published in the November 15 issue of Geophysical Research Letters . Scientists report that ozone values in the northern polar region set record low levels during the spring of 1997. They speculate that the record ozone depletion may have been caused by a fundamental shift in polar climatology and an unusual springtime cooling trend of the lower Arctic stratosphere. Long‐term records of total ozone from both the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) satellite instrument and from groundbased observations show a continuing decrease over the last several years, according to the papers. Chlorine gases, particularly the radical CIO, have been conclusively identified as the cause of the ozone depletion.