ABSTRACT

Atmospheric ozone plays a critical role in limiting the penetration of biologically harmful, solar ultraviolet radiation to the Earth surface. Furthermore, the absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's warm surface influence temperatures in the lower stratosphere, creating dynamically stable conditions with strongly reduced vertical exchange. Through industrial emissions, ozone-depleting catalysts have increasingly been produced in the stratosphere, leading to reductions in ozone. The situation is especially grave during springtime over Antarctica, where, since the 1980s, each year almost all ozone in the 14–22 km height region is chemically destroyed. This so-called “ozone hole” was not predicted by any model and came as a total surprise to all scientists. The ozone hole developed at a least likely location. Through the emissions of chlorofluorocarbons, humankind has created a chemical instability, leading to rapid loss of ozone. A question is whether there may be other instabilities that might be triggered in the environment by human activities.