|
 
 

 

Courtesy of the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences,
Cambridge University
and
www.solcomhouse.com
plus Claire Cosgrove and Peter Webster (EAS)
with liberal use of Rich Turco¶s
³Earth Under Siege´
Ä

 
  

_ ramatic loss of ozone in the lower
stratosphere over Antarctica was first noticed
in the 1970s by a research group
from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) who
were monitoring the atmosphere above
Antarctica



   

_
ews media confuses it with the problem of
global warming
_ ozone contributes to the greenhouse effect
_ over Antarctica (and the Arctic),
stratospheric ozone depleted over past 15
years at certain times of the year
_ hole presently size Antarctica, 10km
altitude - lower stratosphere


 
_ zone forms a layer in
the stratosphere,
thinnest in the tropics
(around the equator)
and denser towards the
poles
_ measured in obson
units ( U)
_ 0 U near the
tropics


 
 

_ 1 obson Unit ( U) is
defined to be 0.01 mm
thickness at STP -
(0C and 1 atmos
press).
_ A slab 3mm thick
corresponds to 300
U
Ä
  
UV radiation strikes the  molecule and splits it, atomic oxygen
associates itself with another  molecule ± u
 u  u




   

Annual cycle Mean climatology

R 
  

   

zone also has substantial variability on smaller time scale

]

 
   
R
   
 

zone is in a fluid state of creation and destruction

Ä     
_ at ground level, ozone is a health hazard
_ major constituent of photochemical smog
_ in the stratosphere, it absorbs potentially
harmful ultra-violet (UV ± 0-30nm
harmful) radiation
_ Protects from skin cancer, etc
þ 


_ zone is formed by:
  › ->   
(1)

_ zone can reform resulting in no net loss of ozone:

3  › ->   
(3)
   -> 3
()
_ zone is also destroyed by the following reaction:

  3 ->   
()

  


_ Reaction () slower with increasing altitude
_ Reaction (3) faster with increasing altitude
_ ower in stratosphere, atmosphere denser,
UV absorption increases ± ozone peaks
0km
_ Closer to surface, UV level decr, ozone decr
 




Î   


_ Chlorine, bromine ± from human activities
_ Chlorine carriers ± hydrochloric acid, chlorine nitrate
_ ther impt cpds ± nitric acid, dinitrogen pentoxide
_ Right conditions necessary for chemical
reactions to occur
_ n surface of PSC
_ enoxification ± slows removal Cl
±

 

_ We still have many more atoms ozone than
active chlorine
_ ow do we destroy all the ozone??
  


_ nly have molecular chlorine (Cl)
_ Require atomic chlorine to destroy ozone
_ Via ³photodissociation´
_ Cl  hv -> Cl  Cl
_
ey to timing of ozone hole
_ inally ± catalytic destruction of ozone
ü 



_     ± molecules significantly
changes or enables a reaction cycle without
being altered by the cycle itself
 


  

_ Polar winter Î polar vortex Î isolates air within
_ Cold temperatures Î Polar Stratospheric Clouds Î
vortex air isolated Î cold temperatures & PSC¶s
persist
_ eterogeneous reactions allow reservoir species of
chlorine & bromine - rapidly converted to more
active forms.
_
o ozone loss until sunlight returns Î production
active chlorine Î initiates catalytic ozone
destruction Î ozone loss rapid
ð |

 
 

 


 |


_ most dramatic in the lower stratosphere
_ nearly all the ozone depleted
_ area the size of Antarctica
_ many km thick
_ most pronounced in spring/ctober
_ persists two months
_ ecember ± moves Î alklands, S Georgia, S Am
°

 
±  ±
 
 

 !""#
_ http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/tour_mpe
g/anim_clono.mpg
_ Winter ± no light ± Cl
 destroyed ±
sunlight returns ± Cl
 recovery ± edge
vortex ± doughnut shape ± µchlorine nitrate
collar¶




 

 
_ release of manmade chemicals ±
_ CC - refrigerants, aerosol sprays, solvents and foam-
blowing agents
_ halogen compounds - ire fighters used bromine-
containing halogens to put out fires
_
x
  
  
    


 

 
  


  

  




  
|

  
  

Vertical Structure of zone Cycle
ü
    



Reservoirs Reactions
±

  

  





 
R


  

R
 



ð

   
 

 

alley Bay, Antarctica



 
 

ðR R


 



_ Total zone Mapping
Spectrometer
_ Based on backscattered light
_ UV range
_ obson units ( U)
  Ä
 
R

$ %% & %%'
  


_ 1.5 x USA
_ Australia 8,93,000
_ USA 9,33,130
_ Europe 10,98,000
_ Antarctica 13,30,000
_ Russia 17,078,000
_
America 5,39,000
_ Africa 30,355,000 sq km
±   
  
(


   
_ irst global agreement - restrict CCs -
Montreal Protocol - 1987
_ European Community countries have even
stricter measures
_ Was anticipated - recovery of the ozone
layer within 50 years of 000 World



   u 
 
u


  



 |



_ Arctic ± µlow ozone event¶

_ S America ± from Antarctica hole
_ Volcanic ozone hole
_ European ozone hole - heavily populated
northern mid-latitudes (30-0
) ± formation
smaller, much slower





 
 


 


_ Polar meteorology
_ Polar vortex ± winter polar night
_ Polar stratospheric clouds (-80C)
_ nitric acid trihydrate
_ Chemical reactions
_ occur on surface PSC¶s
_ ccur very fast

 

 

]
 
 

_ mid-May - onset S winter
_ Antarctic stratosphere cools
_ descends closer to the surface
_ Coriolis effect - sets up strong westerly
circulation (@ SP)
_ forms oblong vortex
_ temperatures - lower stratosphere cool < -
80C Î PCS¶s
R
 |   
_ The zone hole has reached Argentina,
Chile and The alkland Islands since the
1990's.
_ zone levels dropped down 70% in some
areas.
_ The protective level of ozone dropped
below 150 U in some areas.
|
   







 


 

 
| 



   
May 5, 000 ± ³low ozone event´



 







 )
   
*

_ Could be blown south by high-altitude

winds across heavily populated regions
_ 10% reduction ozone layer Î 5% imcr
non-melanoma skin cancer ± temperate
climates by 050
_ Arctic ozone recovery may not be as quick
as Antarctic

  



_ Polar stratospheric clouds surfaces where
benign forms of chlorine Î reactive ozone-
destroying forms
_ Remove nitrogen compounds that moderate
destructive impact of chlorine - K › K
 


u› ›
u 

   
  u
 u›  
K
_ Presently ± nitric acid stays longer in Arctic
± reduces amount reactive chlorine
| 


 

 

_ Upper atmosphere is getting colder ± due to

_ zone loss
_ Greenhouse gases warming at surface Î
cooling upper atmosphere
_ Î Arctic ozone hole forming within 0y

uu

 › ›   !›"  u›  

 



 




_ What causes these losses?
_ Are losses over poles linked with those of
mid latitudes?
_ Are CC¶s and bromine also responsible?
°  
_ Upper atmospheric conditions in The

orthern emisphere are becoming similar
to those of the Antarctic. The result of this
could be the formation of an "Arctic zone
ole" or more correctly termed "low ozone
event".
_ 10% ozone decr ± winter
_ 5% ozone decr - summer
± !!%%!
_ evels of ozone - fall to 0-70% of the seasonal
average -
#u › $ !››  
u.

ow ozone event maybe caused by unusual air

currents ± not chemicals as Antarctic ozone hole
]
    Ä

_ An "ozone hole" could form over the
orth Pole
after future major volcanic eruptions ± within next
30 years - %
›!  %
›u  u &u
u#u ›
 
' 
  
_ winter stratosphere temperatures highly variable in
Arctic
_ If a period of high volcanic activity coincides with
a series of cold Arctic winters
Ä 


 
_ arge volcanic eruptions - pump sulfur
compounds into atmosphere.
_ Compounds form sulfuric acid clouds - similar
polar stratospheric clouds - nitric acid and water.
_ orm in upper atmosphere - very cold conditions
- destruction of ozone over poles.
_ Volcanic sulfuric acid clouds add to the ozone-
destroying power of polar stratospheric clouds
A





_ Could volcanic aerosols cause ozone destruction
in warmer regions of the globe?
_ Could ozone destruction occur at lower altitude
corresponding with level of volcanic aerosol?
_ ES ± 1993 Artic winter not extremely cold but
ozone loss was very high ± why? ± sulphurous
Pintatubo clouds at lower altitude
 



_ 'blow' (or advect) chemical species around
the globe using known or computed weather
patterns - winds, temperatures and pressures
_ rates of chemical reactions dependent on
temperature, pressure, and with photolytic
processes, the position of the sun
R
   


 


 

_ Box model ± single point ± only chemistry
simulated ± cheap model
_ Trajectory model ± trajectory ± µbox model
that moves¶ ± wind fields Î path
_ 3- model ± grid of box models with
vertical levels- more realistic ± meteorology
- complex

  


 




 


Ä

 
+ 

_ Skin cancers, sunburn, eye damage, cataracts
_ estimated 10 % reduction ozone layer Î 5 %
increase non-melanoma skin cancer -
temperate latitudes by 050
_ Suppress immune system
_
A mutation of existing disease bacteria
and viruses
j]     
 

Quite deadly

istinct latitudinal
distribution
|     

 
 
_ herpes viruses
_ human immunodeficiency virus IV- 1
_ variety of papilloma viruses
_ leishmaniasis
_ malaria
_ forms of tuberculosis
_ leprosy
_ lupus erthematodes
_ dermatitis
_ E. coli
_ Staphylococcus aureus
 
 

+ 

_ Biologically damaging young, new shoots
_ Southern cean - most productive marine
ecosystem - less phytoplankton (8.5per cent
decr)- food for microscopic animals - eaten
by krill ± sustain seals, penguins, and baleen
whales
_  % ozone depletion Î loss 7 million tons
fish per year
|   
_ damages
A marine bacteria, starfish
and urchins larvae
_ alters ocean chemistry
  
 %%'
Visit:

http://www.theozonehole.com/ozonehole003
.htm