A scientist recently claimed to have discovered a gigantic hole in the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that it is first appeared over the tropics in the 1980s but until now it had never been recognized, however after the publication of his research, the scientist received quick criticism from experts who have reported his study on the gigantic hole in the ozone layer as deeply imperfect.
“I am surprised that this study on this gigantic hole in the ozone layer has been published in its present form”
he said Martyn Chipperfieldprofessor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of Leeds in England, al Science Media Centeran independent UK-based press office that works with researchers, journalists and policy makers to disseminate accurate scientific information.
“The claim in this quest for such large changes in ozone in the tropics has not been evident in other studies, which makes me very suspicious. Science should never depend on a single study, and this new work needs careful scrutiny before it can be accepted as fact. “
Chipperfield said.
The author of the new study on this gigantic hole in the ozone layer, Qing-Bin Lu, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, he said he disagreed with the criticisms of Chipperfield and others, stating in an email to Live Science:
“In my opinion, these criticisms are unfounded and cannot withstand the revision of the scientific literature.”
The controversial report on this gigantic hole in the ozone layer was published July 5 in the magazine AIP Advanceswith the study that went through the journal’s standard peer review processthrough which an independent auditor determined it was suitable for publicationsaid AT Charlie Johnson, Jr., deputy director of AIP Advances.
The editors of the magazine then determined that the work on this gigantic hole in the ozone layer was interesting enough to be featured as a featured article on their website..
“As far as we know, we have not received any communication from the outside community that questions its validity. We encourage readers and researchers to contact the authors whenever possible to discuss potential technical deficiencies, so that they can be addressed in corrections in the literature or in comments and responses. “
Johnson said, or, alternatively, readers can contact the magazine directly, not least because at the time, the magazine would work to validate any claims made about the work, request an explanation or response from the author, and correct the literature, if necessary.
Would the discovery of this gigantic hole in the ozone layer create a new definition of the latter?
Ozone, a gas made up of three oxygen atoms bound together, is formed in the earth’s upper atmosphere. Most ozone is found in the stratosphere, the atmospheric layer that lies 6 to 31 miles (10 to 50 kilometers) above the planet’s surface, and there the gas acts as a kind of sunscreenprotecting the Earth from the sun’s powerful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
In the 1980s, scientists found that long-lived air pollutants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) decompose into chlorine and bromine when exposed to UV rays beyond the ozone layer, according toNASA Earth Observatory.
These reactive elements tear apart the O3 molecules and then thin the regions of the ozone layer, creating “holes”, mainly on Antarctica, where freezing atmospheric conditions allow ozone-destroying reactions to take place very efficiently.
Conventionally, an ozone hole is defined as a region where the ozone concentration falls below 220 “Dobson Units”a measure of the number of ozone molecules in a given column of air extending from the planet’s surface to space.
The discovery of ozone holes led to the approval of the Montreal Protocol of 1987, an international treaty aimed at phasing out the production of ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFCs, and now the ozone layer is on the road to recovery, according to World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
However, in Lu’s new study, he warned that this giant hole in the ozone layer could threaten the lives of billions of people living in the tropics.
Specifically, Lu reported having discovered a “giant hole in the all-season ozone layer” in the lower stratosphere above the tropics, 6.2 to 15.5 miles (10-25 km) above the Earth’s surface. This hole is similar in “depth” to the seasonal ozone hole that opens over Antarctica in late winter and early spring, but it covers an area seven times larger than that of the spring Antarctic holehe reported.
“The gigantic hole in the year-round active ozone layer could cause great global concern as it is it can lead to an increase in ultraviolet radiation at ground level and affect 50% of the earth’s surfacewhich hosts about 50% of the world population “
wrote Lu in the AIP report, also adding:
“Exposure to increased levels of UV-B could increase the incidence of skin cancer and cataracts in humans, weaken the human immune system, decrease agricultural productivity and adversely affect aquatic organisms and sensitive ecosystems“.
Rather than using the conventional definition of an ozone hole, Lu defined this gigantic hole in the ozone layer as “an area of O3 loss that is 25% larger than the undisturbed atmosphere”.
The ozone holes observed at the North Pole have been marked by about a 25% drop in ozone, so this new definition is justified, he told Live Science, and it’s critical to note that “no ozone holes on tropics would be observed by the conventional definition of an ozone hole, ”because total ozone levels in the tropics fall above the 220 Dobsonian threshold, Lu noted in his report.
Immediately after the publication of the study on this gigantic hole in the ozone layer discovered by Lu, Chipperfield and several other experts shared their critiques of the study with the Science Media Center.
“There is no giant hole in the tropical ozone layer ‘”
has said Paul Youngone atmospheric scientist at Lancaster University in England and co-lead author of the 2022 Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletiona report prepared by the WMO and the United Nations, which then added:
“The author’s identification of a ‘tropical ozone hole’ depends on him observing the percentage changes in the ozone, rather than the absolute changes, the latter being much more relevant to the harmful UV rays reaching the surface.
Interestingly, even his article does not draw from the vast literature that explores and documents ozone trends in all regions of the atmosphere ”.
A huge factor affecting ozone concentrations in the tropical stratosphere is a phenomenon called Brewer-Dobson circulationa global model of air circulation that pushes ozone out of the tropics and into the poles, he said Marta Ábalos Álvarez, researcher of the Department of Earth Physics and Astrophysics at the Complutense University of Madrid.
This circulation has accelerated in recent years (opens in a new tab) due to climate change, and this acceleration explains the long-term patterns of ozone depletion observed in the tropics, he said.
“In my opinion, the article [di Lu] it lacks the scientific rigor necessary to be a reliable contribution. It contains a lot of reasoning with serious errors and unsubstantiated claims, contradicting previous results that are proven. “
Ábalos Álvarez said.
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