A scientist has warned of an “imminent danger” in space after a “large” hole was found in the ozone layer over the tropics that had been developing since the 1980s.
Professor Cheng Bin Lu, a researcher at the University of Waterloo, said the new hole could be compared to the well-known ‘spring’ hole over Antarctica, but the area of the new hole was seven times its size.
According to Lu, the presence of this hole can be harmful to our environment because it can lead to increased ultraviolet radiation at ground level and affect 50 percent of the Earth’s surface area.
“These findings will be important to understanding planetary physics, ozone depletion, climate change, and human health,” the study, published in the journal AIP Advances, said.
Ozone is one of the elements necessary for life on the surface of the earth, as it is no less important than oxygen and water, because it absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet rays that we receive from the sun, thus protecting known life forms on the surface of the earth.
For this reason, Lu’s study warns of the danger of a year-round “hole” just above the tropics.
Professor Lu said: “Tropical regions make up half of the planet’s surface area and are home to about half of the world’s population. The presence of the tropical ozone hole could be a major global concern.”
He added: “Depleting the ozone layer can increase ground-level ultraviolet radiation, which can increase the risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans, as well as weaken human immune systems, reduce agricultural productivity, and negatively affect sensitive aquatic organisms. and environmental systems.”
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