Sign In
Learn bits
Ecology & Environment
Admin

09/01/21 08:00 AM IST

Antarctic ozone hole closes

In news

The annually occurring ozone hole over the Antarctic had rapidly grown from mid-August 2020 and peaked at around 24 mln sq km

How?
  • The expansion of the hole was driven by a strong, stable and cold polar vortex and very cold temperatures in the stratosphere.
  • The same meteorological factors also contributed to the record 2020 Arctic ozone hole, which has also closed.
  • A polar vortex is a wide expanse of swirling cold air, a low pressure area, in polar regions. During winters, the polar vortex at the North Pole expands, sending cold air southward.
  • An ozone hole is the thinning of the ozone layer boosted in size by colder temperatures.
  • As the temperatures high up in the stratosphere starts to rise, ozone depletion slows, the polar vortex weakens and breaks down. By the end of December, ozone levels return to normal. 
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer regulates production and consumption of nearly 100 chemicals referred (OSD). Since the ban on halocarbons, the ozone layer has slowly been recovering

More Related Current Affairs View All

20 Sep

Cabinet clears setting up of National Centre of Excellence in Mumbai for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality

'The Government has recently said that the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector has the potential to provide employment to over 20 lakh people in the coming 10

Read More

20 Sep

Mini-moon

'According to a new study, the Earth’s gravitational field will temporarily capture a small asteroid, called 2024 PT5, in late September.' The asteroid will stay for two m

Read More

19 Sep

Cabinet clears development of Next Generation of satellite Launch Vehicle

'The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV).' The NGLV is set to significantly enhance Ind

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps