Where is the Problem?
There are two types of
ozone depleting phenomena that depend on location and season:
- The Antarctic Ozone Hole
- Global Ozone Depletion
The
Antarctic Ozone Hole
Progression of the Ozone Hole in 1999
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August 6, 1999 |
September 6, 1999 |
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September 26,1999 |
December 6, 1999 |
Probably the most familiar aspect of the problem of ozone depletion
is the Ozone hole. Every year, during the Antarctic spring, a large scale and
fairly uniform destruction of the ozone layer occurs. Roughly 70% of the ozone
layer is destroyed over this area during the months of August to December.
The ozone hole only occurs
over Antarctica. The largest ever recorded ozone hole was in 2000, with the
area reaching 29 million square Kilometers.
Global Ozone Depletion
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Global ozone depletion is the gradual decrease of
ozone over the entire globe. This decrease can lead to rising sea levels (melting
ice off the Antarctic land mass) that could engulf large coastal areas. Many
coastal areas all over the world contain well over thousands of inhabitants.
Also, rising cases of skin cancer and cataracts could be resulting from global
ozone depletion.
