Antarctic Ozone Hole Appears Early, Growing

GENEVA (Reuters) – A hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has appeared earlier than usual in 2007, the United Nations weather agency said on Tuesday.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said it would not be clear for several weeks whether the ozone hole, which is expected to continue growing until early October, would be larger than its record size in 2006.
“It is still too early to give a definitive statement about the development of this year’s ozone hole and the degree of ozone loss that will occur. This will, to a large extent, depend on the meteorological conditions,” the Geneva-based agency said.

The ozone layer shields the earth from damaging ultra-violet rays that can cause skin cancer.

While use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has waned, the WMO said large amounts of chlorine and bromine remain in the atmosphere and would likely keep causing holes in the protective layer for years to come.

Environmental New Network