The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) tracks the evolution of ozone in the atmosphere, as well as the ultraviolet radiation that passes through the ozone layer to reach the Earth’s surface. The Service records past trends, provides a snapshot of the current situation, and forecasts the ozone concentrations that can be expected over the next few days.
The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 with the aim of reducing emissions of substances that attack the ozone layer, with special attention to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Thanks to the ratification of this protocol, the use and emission of these compounds was considerably reduced, although some of them persist in the atmosphere for several decades, and their concentrations are still high enough to cause severe ozone destruction.
The thinning of the ozone layer is common on these dates
Every year it is common to observe, due to the destruction of ozone by these chemical compounds, a thinning of the ozone layer over the South Pole. This year, according to CAMS in a statement, this hole has reached a greater extension than Antarctica. After a fairly standard start, the 2021 ozone hole has grown considerably in the past two weeks and is now larger than 75% of ozone holes at that stage of the season since 1979.
“This year, the ozone hole developed as expected at the beginning of the season. It looks quite similar to last year, which wasn’t really exceptional until early September either, but then it turned out to be one of the largest and longest-lasting ozone holes in our data record, ”explained Vincent-Henri Peuch, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. “At present, our measurements show that this year’s hole has become larger than usual. The vortex is quite stable and stratospheric temperatures are even lower than last year, so it could continue to grow slightly for the next two to three weeks . “
