What are the effects of the expansion of the ozone hole?

Introduction

The ozone layer is known as part of the atmosphere that surrounds the planet Earth. This layer contains ozone gas in large quantities. The ozone layer is found in the lower part of the stratosphere of the atmosphere, and the color of the ozone layer tends to be blue.

The strong ultraviolet rays that the sun emits affect the atmosphere because there are no thick layers of air above it to protect it. Ultraviolet rays work on converting oxygen gas into ozone gas, so the ozone layer is very important because it prevents the arrival of short-wave ultraviolet rays in high concentration. Ampere to ground.

How is the amount of ozone measured?

The amount of ozone in the atmosphere was measured by satellites, and it was noted that there was a decrease in the amount of ozone due to ozone consumption, and the ozone hole was discovered over Antarctica, as this hole appears in the months of August and September of each year over the Antarctic continents, and then expands significantly in the fall. It disappears and shrinks in November.

The ozone hole occurs within the polar vortex, which is considered to be a large mass of isolated air over Antarctica, and all of this happens in the polar winter and spring, and whenever this pole appears, which appears on a seasonal basis, it becomes worse than the time it appeared before, and because of this expansion that Happening in Antarctica, southern Argentina will be exposed to risks that threaten it in the future.

The causes that lead to damage and erosion of the ozone layer

• Nuclear tests lead to damage to the ozone layer by 20-70%, especially after air explosions.
• Nitrogen oxides, such as carbon monoxide, which turns into nitric acid, and toxic nitrogen oxide, which colors the atmosphere. As its concentration increases, vision becomes blurred and difficult. When the concentration of these gases increases in the lower layer, photoreduction of nitrogen dioxide gas into nitrogen oxide and atomic oxygen occurs due to ultraviolet rays. Violet Then a reaction of atomic oxygen occurs with another part.
• Chlorofluorocarbons are organic substances that contain fluorine, carbon, and chlorine, which destroy the ozone layer. Countries are seeking to replace these harmful compounds with harmless ones.
• Geophysical factors are factors related to solar activity and hurricanes, and it is said that these factors will cause the erosion of the ozone layer in the northern part of the Earth.
• Volcanic eruptions, as volcanic eruptions are considered one of the main causes that lead to the erosion of the ozone layer.

Effects caused by ozone layer depletion

• When the ozone hole expands, the percentage of ultraviolet radiation to which the Earth is exposed increases.
• High incidence of skin cancer.
• Causing damage to the human immune system.
• Affecting and harming the eyes.
• Decreased production capacity of plants.
• Causing genetic changes and harming the eyes of animals.
• A global imbalance that harms the Earth's climate.