It measures nearly 23 million square kilometers, more than Antarctica
Ansa / CorriereTv
The Copernicus European Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams) has announced that the ozone layer hole is increasing. Its extension in the southern hemisphere has exceeded the surface of the entire Antarctica. Ozone is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms and is toxic to humans. However, it performs the fundamental function of absorbing the dangerous ultraviolet rays (UV-B) coming from the Sun, which are also harmful. What we call a “hole” is actually a decrease in the thickness of the ozone layer. It is visible every year during the austral spring, at the beginning of our autumn. The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, prohibits the gaseous substances used in the sprays responsible for the phenomenon, but it was not enough. Satellites have reported that its extent has reached the maximum ever recorded: 22.9 million square kilometers. Scientists from CAMS, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, closely monitored the development of the ozone hole in 2021. After a fairly standard start to the year, the hole has grown significantly in the past two weeks. Since 1979 it has increased by 75%.
September 17, 2021 – Updated September 17, 2021, 12:40 pm
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