ozone holes
Stratospheric UV windows
Ozone holes are regions of the upper atmosphere where the protective ozone layer has thinned dramatically, allowing more ultraviolet radiation to reach Earth's surface.
The term usually refers to the seasonal depletion over Antarctica, discovered in the 1980s and linked to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
International bans on these chemicals have allowed gradual recovery: Scientists expect the ozone hole to close by mid-century.
- banned substancesMaterials forbidden by law
- depletionsActs of using up
- stratosphereSecond atmospheric layer up
- upper atmosphereAir layer farthest up
- polar vortexPersistent circulating cold air mass
CFCs · Antarctica · protect · halons · chlorofluorocarbons · spray cans · environmental science · polar regions · ultraviolet radiation · UV index · remote sensing · global warming · sunscreen · bromine · skin cancer · greenhouse effect · greenhouse gases · cataracts
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