Ozone hole over Arctic worst in history

[Cheetah]

NASA-led study, reported by BarentsObserver:

Ozone hole over Arctic worst in history

Intense cold in the upper atmosphere of the Arctic last winter activated ozone-depleting chemicals and produced the first significant ozone hole ever recorded over the high northern regions.

A NASA-led study has documented an unprecedented depletion of Earth's protective ozone layer above the Arctic last winter and spring caused by an unusually prolonged period of extremely low temperatures in the stratosphere, NASA reports.

The amount of ozone destroyed in the Arctic was comparable to that seen in some years in the Antarctic, where an ozone "hole" has formed each spring since the mid 1980s.

- Day-to-day temperatures in the 2010-11 Arctic winter did not reach lower values than in previous cold Arctic winters, said Gloria Manney from NASA. - The difference from previous winters is that temperatures were low enough to produce ozone-destroying forms of chlorine for a much longer time. This implies that if winter Arctic stratospheric temperatures drop just slightly in the future, for example as a result of climate change, then severe Arctic ozone loss may occur more frequently, she added.

Last winter was extremely cold in the Barents Region. The Finnish town of Rovaniemi, for example, had 100 days of sub-zero temperatures, as BarentsObserver reported.

To investigate the 2011 Arctic ozone loss, scientists from 19 institutions in nine countries analyzed a comprehensive set of measurements. The scientists found that at some altitudes, the cold period in the Arctic lasted more than 30 days longer in 2011 than in any previously studied Arctic winter, leading to the unprecedented ozone loss. Further studies are needed to determine what factors caused the cold period to last so long.

I can attest that both the last two winters in Norway have been extremely cold, and I live in the southern parts! Not that my family up north would disagree with my statement... My money is on yet another very cold and long winter this time as well.

"Further studies are needed to determine what factors caused the cold period to last so long", but my thoughts quickly went to the climate changes that (most likely) are occurring:

If I remember correctly, it is possible that a generally warmer climate system (i.e. more energy in the system) may lead to increased cloud cover? Clouds would then trap more heat closer to the surface of the Earth, as well as reducing the sunlight that gets through (blocking the sunlight should have a cooling effect on the surface, but not in the stratosphere?).

I know the article didn't talk about it, but is it possible that increased cloud coverage could trap more heat below the clouds and therefore making the stratosphere colder? I.e. one of the effects of increasing global temperatures may be that the stratosphere gets colder, and we risk damaging our ozone layer (most likely only in the polar regions, but still...)?

Or am I just making this stuff up by myself?

Any other thoughts?

 

[Rashiminos]

The upper atmosphere is being loaded with dust from without.

 

[G-Max]

I can attest that both the last two winters in Norway have been extremely cold, and I live in the southern parts! Not that my family up north would disagree with my statement... My money is on yet another very cold and long winter this time as well.

I blame global warming.

 

[Cheetah]

The upper atmosphere is being loaded with dust from without.

What?

I blame global warming.

So do I - and so do many others - at least to some extent: It's not to smart to draw conclusions from something as little as the last two winters' length and temperature.

However, it seems to me that the frequency of extreme weather is increasing all over the world. Pakistan has its second extreme flooding in just as many years, and I doubt people have forgotten some of the extreme summers and winters Europe have experienced lately.

For Norway's part, the last two winters have been unusually long and unusually cold, and the last couple of summers have either been very dry (among other effects: half the grain harvest was destroyed because of lack of rain) or very wet (this year three quarters of the grain harvest rained away). Even the frequencies of mudslides and floods have increased during the last two decades.

Perhaps there really is nothing of statistical significance.

Or perhaps there is.

 

[Rashiminos]

What?

Small meteoroids.

 

[Cheetah]

I'm still not following.

Most rocks and space dust which enter the atmosphere burn up due to friction and (I'd assume) fall to the earth if they're heavier than air.

 

[Rashiminos]

I'm still not following.

Most rocks and space dust which enter the atmosphere burn up due to friction and (I'd assume) fall to the earth if they're heavier than air.

The oxygen goes where?

 

[Cheetah]

It reacts with other things.

Are you telling me the Arctic and Antarctic areas have a lot more of things entering the atmosphere than the rest of the Earth?

 

[Rashiminos]

Not especially, just less in-place ozone replenishment (less sunlight, particularly in winter*). I was suggesting more meteoroids overall (as compared to recent years).

*There's an additional process that occurs during spring involving clouds with human-generated aerosols.

 

[Dreadnought]

Am I understading this correctly: colder temperatures are going to increase global warming? Through a chemical process involving ozone?

 

[Silurian]

CFCs not CO2

 

[Core Imposter]

If you guys would just open your minds and think about it this is just more evidence of the truth of the Biblical prophecy of the end of times. All, see crazy hairy ants.

 

[Truronian]

Am I understading this correctly: colder temperatures are going to increase global warming? Through a chemical process involving ozone?

Not as such. Certain gases (such as CFCs) cause both ozone depletion and an increase in the greenhouse effect. Global warming and ozone depletion share causal gases but are relatively distinct phenomena.

 

[Berzerker]

"History" aint very long, but I thought ozone holes were linked to magnetic lines and where they're weakest, ie high altitudes & latitudes.

oops, maybe I'm thinking of auroras

 

[Winner]

We're getting close...

Spoiler :

Link to video.

 

[warpus]

I blame intelligent ozone goatse

 

[innonimatu]

So do I - and so do many others - at least to some extent: It's not to smart to draw conclusions from something as little as the last two winters' length and temperature.

Your sarcasm meter seems to be broken.

Anyway, let me throw in some more: back in the Middle Ages villagers blamed witches for phenomena they feared and didn't understand. Now people blame "global warming"... some things never change!

 

[Winner]

Did you really just compare medieval superstitions to facts obtained through precise scientific measurements and observations?

 

[Cutlass]

Am I understading this correctly: colder temperatures are going to increase global warming? Through a chemical process involving ozone?

Global warming as a whole can cause extremes of all other types of weather events in certain regions. Including colder winters in high latitudes.

 

[innonimatu]

Did you really just compare medieval superstitions to facts obtained through precise scientific measurements and observations?

No. It was a comment on this piece of speculation:

"Further studies are needed to determine what factors caused the cold period to last so long", but my thoughts quickly went to the climate changes that (most likely) are occurring:

Though Cheetah at least qualified it; I'm sure there will be enough other people elsewhere writing OPs linking the two things without bothering to do so.