The Arctic recently experienced record ozone levels not seen since 1979, signaling new climate hope.
Researchers from NASA identified a period of overall increase in ozone through winter 2023 to 2024, which peaked in March. The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters, and Phys.org reported that they were particularly significant because spring is generally associated with ozone depletion.
The team's scientists say their new study provides preliminary evidence that anthropogenic-sourced chlorofluorocarbons — a primary cause of ozone depletion around the poles — are declining.
As Phys.org explained, CFCs are released from household items such as coolants in fridges, air conditioners, and spray cans, but efforts over the years associated with the Montreal Protocol have sought to stop their production and use.
"Ozone is the Earth's natural sunscreen," researcher Paul Newman, Chief Scientist for Earth Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said, per Phys.org. "Increased ozone is a positive story, since it's good for the environment and encouraging news that the global Montreal Protocol agreement is producing positive results."
According to the United Nations, Antarctica's ozone could recover to 1980 levels — before the hole in the ozone appeared — by around 2066 if current policies remain intact. The efforts overall could lead to a full recovery of ozone in the Arctic by 2045 and the rest of the world by 2040.
This is all great news, as ozone is a part of the Earth's atmosphere that shields us from harmful radiation linked to skin cancer, cataracts, and crop damage, PBS explains.
Plus, "Ozone action sets a precedent for climate action," World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas said in a statement regarding a 2022 ozone assessment. "Our success in phasing out ozone-eating chemicals shows us what can and must be done — as a matter of urgency — to transition away from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases, and so limit temperature increase."
As for the new research, "Arctic ozone is controlled by direct depletion of ozone by chlorine and bromine compounds and ozone transport," Newman said, per Phys.org. "The stronger-than-normal transport seems to be caused by a random weather year with significant propagation of Rossby waves into the stratosphere. It is likely that the declining levels of oxygen depleting substances and rising levels of carbon dioxide helped further elevate Arctic ozone to a record level."
In other words, while this year's high levels of ozone creation could be an anomaly, there's evidence that our efforts to fix the hole in the ozone layer are paying significant dividends as well.
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