World Ozone Day 2021: Hole over South Pole now bigger than Antarctica, experts warn

World ozone day, annually celebrated on September 16, has arrived with bad news as researchers have warned that the ozone layer hole in 2021 over the South Pole has grown exponentially. As per the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service experts, the puncture in the South Pole is now amongst 25% of the widest recognised ones. The gap has grown bigger than Antarctica and is the widest recorded hole in the season since 1979, said a report by The Guardian. September 16 was proclaimed as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol.

Significance of Ozone

The ozone acts as a sunscreen that blocks harmful solar radiation and prevents it from reaching the surface. This atmospheric layer stretches from 11 to 40 kilometres above the Earth's surface and generally depletes during the winters in the Southern hemisphere. Without an ozone layer, humans will be exposed to skin cancers and eye defects like cataracts, whereas heavy radiation won't allow plants to function. 

Ozone hole larger than usual

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service warned that this recorded ozone hole is larger than usual that can be accredited to ozone-depleting reactions caused by Halocarbons. Halocarbons are chemicals in which one or more carbon atoms are linked to halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine). In an interview with The Guardian, Copernicus' director Vincent-Henri Peuch said that the researchers could not determine the hole's evolution at this stage but stated that the one observed this year has a close similarity to the one of 2020. He said that the one made last year was among the deepest and the longest-lasting since 1979. However, scientists are still monitoring the puncture and assured that one large or small ozone hole could not cancel out the layer's overall recovery but emphasise steps like the Montreal protocol to protect the protective blanket. 

The Montreal Protocol

This Protocol is a global agreement that aims to eliminate or control the total global production and consumption of substances that deplete the ozone layer. In a statement by the UN, the body highlighted the accord's contribution in slowing down climate change and helping to boost energy efficiency in the cooling sector, which contributes to food security. Besides, the Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, said that global cooperation is needed to address the climate crisis.

Image:TWITTER/ @ANTJEINNESS