The ozone gap in Antarctica is the smallest in nearly 3 decades

The ozone gap formed in Antarctica in September this year is the smallest sized hole monitored by scientists since 1988.

This is the research result of the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NASA scientists and NOAA report that the 2017 ozone formation is the smallest in size due to its nature , not a sign of rapid recovery.

Information from NASA satellites showed that on September 11, ozone hole size could reach 2.5 times the area of ​​the United States, equivalent to 19.7 million square kilometers, then narrowed down until October.

Large ice sheets on the Ross Sea in Antarctica on November 12.(Source: AP / VNA).

The NOAA measurements showed that the Antarctic ozone layer was eroded to the lowest level compared to the peak period of ozone destruction in 1988. Chief Scientist of NASA Earthquake Science Paul Newman identify ozone holes in Antarctica unusually weak this year.

According to him, this development is exactly as scientists forecast based on weather conditions in the Antarctic stratosphere.

Scientists appreciate the warm and unstable cyclone in Antarctica , a low-stratospheric low-pressure system moving clockwise in the atmosphere of this continent, helping to narrow the cloud the stratosphere formed at the lower layer, thereby preventing the occurrence of a chemical reaction that can destroy ozone.

Since 1991, the average area of ​​the ozone hole monitored is about 25.9 million square kilometers.

According to NASA and NOAA, the ozone hole area is still relatively large because ozone concentrations such as chlorine and bromine are still high enough to corrode ozone significantly.

Scientists predict that by the year 2070, the ozone gap in Antarctica could recover as a level in 1980 thanks to the Montreal Protocol concerning the monitoring of compounds that destroy the ozone layer signed in 1987. .

The ozone layer in the stratosphere is about 11-40km from the Earth's surface. This layer acts as a protective film for the Earth from ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, affecting immune systems as well as damage to plants.