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Book Chapter10.5479/si.9781935623069.189

The Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Unique Example of the Science and Policy Interface

Susan Solomon,Marie‐Lise Chanin-2011-01-01-Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press eBooks
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TL;DRAbstract

The discovery of an unexpected large depletion of the Antarctic ozone layer in the 1980s attracted the attention of scientists, policymakers, and the public. The phenomenon quickly became known as the “ozone hole.” Observations established that the ozone losses were driven primarily by humanmade compounds, chlorofluorocarbons and bromocarbons, whose chemistry is particularly enhanced for ozone loss under the extreme cold conditions of the Antarctic. Systematic longterm data of Antarctic total ozone date back to the 1950s at several international stations, and these key records owe their existence to the International Geophysical Year in 1957–1958 as well as to the Antarctic Treaty System. Although ozone depletion is greatest in the Antarctic, significant depletion has also been observed in the Arctic and at midlatitudes in both hemispheres. Ozone depletion enhances the ultraviolet light at the planet surface and thereby can damage ecosystems and some crops as well as increasing the inc

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The discovery of an unexpected large depletion of the Antarctic ozone layer in the 1980s attracted the attention of scientists, policymakers, and the public. The phenomenon quickly became known as the “ozone hole.” Observations established that the ozone losses were driven primarily by humanmade compounds, chlorofluorocarbons and bromocarbons, whose chemistry is particularly enhanced for ozone loss under the extreme cold conditions of the Antarctic. Systematic longterm data of Antarctic total ozone date back to the 1950s at several international stations, and these key records owe their existence to the International Geophysical Year in 1957–1958 as well as to the Antarctic Treaty System. Although ozone depletion is greatest in the Antarctic, significant depletion has also been observed in the Arctic and at midlatitudes in both hemispheres. Ozone depletion enhances the ultraviolet light at the planet surface and thereby can damage ecosystems and some crops as well as increasing the inc

Keywords

Montreal ProtocolOzone depletionOzone layerOzoneEnvironmental scienceGreenhouse gasClimate changeAntarctic treaty

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