Why Ozone Hole is Healing?

 Why Ozone Hole is Healing?

Ozone hole is a region of the ozone layer that has low concentration of ozone due to atmospheric pollution, which results in high amount of ultraviolet radiation passing through the atmosphere. Without ozone layer it would be nearly impossible for anyone to survive on the earth.

There are several good stories about the earth recovery have gone viral, since the corona virus pandemic forced the lockdown into the world. Also, people claim that this healing of the ozone layer is one of the positive effect of lockdown. Is it real? If yes, How will this happened?

Despite corona virus lockdown results in significant decrease in air pollution, scientists are of opinion that occurrence of the hole healing “was completely unrelated to corona virus.” Scientists at the Copernicus' Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) tweeted that, hole was caused by a polar vortex and closed when that vortex split. The CAMS is one of the European Union’s six Earth observations programs. CAMS explained the reason behind ozone layer healing. As per reports, high-altitude currents called polar vortex are responsible for bringing cold air to north pole and the subsequent healing of the ozone layer. Sometimes, strong polar vortex form ozone holes in the Antarctic, because human-made chemicals migrating into the stratosphere by accumulating into it.

The second most important point of ozone hole healing is implementation of ‘Montreal protocol’, which internationally agreed in 1987. It was enacted after scientists found a hole in the ozone over Antarctica and Australia in 1985. The emissions of ozone-depleting substances and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) started to decline due to Montreal protocol. This international treaty got approval from 197 countries. And Montreal protocol is one of the successful agreement in history.

Now, it is clear that ozone layer hole above the Arctic region did not close due to the corona virus lockdown.

- Shubham Avhad