Home > Terms > English, UK (UE) > Antarctic ozone hole

Antarctic ozone hole

Recent data suggest that due to the release into the atmosphere of CFCs by human activities, the ozone hole can as large as North America during a given astral spring. The CFCs are broken apart by UV light--to form free radicals of chlorine--after they have diffused into the upper stratosphere from the troposphere. This long term movement from the troposphere to the stratosphere is possible for these chlorine containing chemicals because of there long atmospheric lifetimes; however, this type of movement is not important for more reactive species such as tropospheric ozone because of their reactivity and therefore short atmospheric lifetime. In the Antarctic stratosphere, the reaction that converts reservoir species of chlorine into an active form--which destroys ozone--takes place on the surface of particles in polar stratospheric clouds as the temperature drops below about 200K. This is possible because of the unique isolation of the south polar vortex during the austral winter. The surfaces of these (nitric acid/water) clouds act as catalysts for reactions that release molecular chlorine which quickly photolyzes to chlorine's (radical) active state. It is this radical which destroys ozone.

This is auto-generated content. You can help to improve it.
0
Collect to Blossary

Member comments

You have to log in to post to discussions.

Terms in the News

Featured Terms

Sysop02
  • 0

    Terms

  • 0

    Blossaries

  • 1

    Followers

Industry/Domain: Electrical equipment Category: Electricity

Electrical hazard

A dangerous condition such that contact or equipment failure can result in electric shock, arc flash burn, thermal burn, or blast.

Contributor

Featured blossaries

Serbian Cuisine

Category: Food   1 20 Terms

Myasthenia Gravis

Category: Health   1 20 Terms