Record loss of ozone over Arctic

4 April 2011
ESA’s Envisat satellite has measured record low levels of ozone over the Euro-Atlantic sector of the northern hemisphere during March.

This record low was caused by unusually strong winds, known as the polar vortex, which isolated the atmospheric mass over the North Pole and prevented it from mixing with air in the mid-latitudes.

This led to very low temperatures and created conditions similar to those that occur every southern hemisphere winter over the Antarctic.

www.esa.int...

This was predicted earlier in March:

Unusually low temperatures in the Arctic ozone layer have recently initiated massive ozone depletion. The Arctic appears to be heading for a record loss of this trace gas that protects Earth's surface against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This result has been found by measurements carried out by an international network of over 30 ozone sounding stations spread all over the Arctic and Subarctic and coordinated by the Potsdam Research Unit of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association (AWI) in Germany.

www.sciencedaily.com...


All rather more worrying IMO if you live in N America or N Europe than radiation from Japan!

so what does that mean?

Polar Ozone concentrations have been getting lower each year since the 80s, largely due to CFC/HCFC emissions. The Montreal Protocol has helped lower the rate of annual loss but I don't think levels are going to get higher any time soon and we're going to see record lows every 5 years or so.

It is rather worrying - Ozone depletion is what leads to increased polar ice melt and rising sea levels

Originally posted by manticorex5
so what does that mean?

It means we're all at greater risk of cancer, especially skin cancer - the ozone layer helps protect us from damaging cosmic radiation.

Existing thread here:

ATS Thread

Originally posted by Essan

Originally posted by manticorex5
so what does that mean?

It means we're all at greater risk of cancer, especially skin cancer - the ozone layer helps protect us from damaging cosmic radiation.

Yes, and wouldn't that mean CMEs and solar flares would have greater effects, such as disabling the power grid?

Besides, smoking marijuana reduces the chances of having cancer because it attacks cancerous cells: NaturalNews article

It is a result of the polar vortex and skincancer will only hurt the innuit if they will expose their skin out there in the cold

reply to post by Gab1159


Haha, haven't laughed harder.

Please don't push your habit onto us, thanks.

Originally posted by shadowland8
reply to post by Gab1159

 

Haha, haven't laughed harder.

Please don't push your habit onto us, thanks.

Oh geez did I really write that?

Oh well...

Over the past few days ozone-depleted air masses extended from the north pole to southern Scandinavia leading to higher than normal levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during sunny days in southern Finland. These air masses will move east over the next few days, covering parts of Russia and perhaps extend as far south as the Chinese/Russian border. Such excursions of ozone-depleted air may also occur over Central Europe and could reach as far south as the Mediterranean.

~ ~ ~

.... if ozone-depleted air masses drift further south over Central Europe, south Canada, the US, or over Central Asiatic Russia, for example, the surface intensity of UV radiation could lead to sunburn within minutes for sensitive persons, even in April.

Record Depletion of Arctic Ozone Layer Causing Increased UV Radiation in Scandinavia