Canadian scientists say they have discovered a huge ozone hole in the tropics

Canadian scientists have discovered a huge hole in the ozone layer of the Earth's tropicsthat can affect 50% of the world's populationIt states.

Qing-BinLu, a professor at the University of Waterloo, states that this hole is seven times as large as the famous Antarctic ozone hole that appears in the spring. .. The findings were published in the journalAIP Advances

Through the investigation, Lu discovered that huge holes existed all year round. He claims to have doneand has been there since the 1980s — about 40 years.

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He warns that its existence can have catastrophic consequences for life on Earth.

"The tropics make up half the surface area of ​​the planet and are home to about half of the world's population." Lu said in a press release. "The presence of the tropical ozone hole can cause great concern worldwide.

The tropics include the equator and parts of the Earth, including parts of the Equator, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. A region of the Earth that spans the central.

"Ozone destruction can lead to increased surface-level UV radiation and is a risk of human skin cancer and cataracts. Sensitive aquatic organisms and ecosystems that can increase, weaken the human immune system, reduce agricultural productivity and adversely affect them, "he said.

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Ozone We have discovered that the layer is a layer of nature. It is important to sustain life on Earth in order to protect us and other lives from the harmful UV rays of the Sun, where gas exists in the Earth's stratosphere.

The process of ozone formation and destruction is underway, but researchers in the 1970s found that certain industrial chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), some aerosol spray chemicals, and refrigerants. We have discovered that it may accelerate deterioration. This theory was supported by the confirmation of the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985.

The government at the time swiftly removed many of the harmful chemicals. Last yearthe US National Environmental Program (UNEP)reported that the discontinuation of these chemicals helpeddeplete the ozone layer

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Lu and his team over the last few decades He identified this latest hole by examining average annual ozone changes, differences in annual ozone climatics, and changes in temperature, but his findings were that other scientists whose traditional photochemical modeling did not show a significant gap. Shocked me.

This new discovery, if true, denies much of what science has learned about the ozone hole.

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In a study questioned by multiple researchers, Lu's method was flawed.

According to Paul Young (not involved in the study), a researcher at Lancaster University and the lead author of the latest scientific assessment of ozone depletion, Luis the rate of change in ozone. I told the Science Media Center that I had investigated. More than absolute change

"There is no" tropical ozone hole "driven by the author's proposed electrons from cosmic rays and the like. Long-term changes and year-to-year changes in the ozone layer of the subtropical stratosphere are well understood to be the result of both human-driven processes and natural impetus, "Young said.

"It is not the absolute change that the author identifies the" tropical ozone hole ", but the rate of change in ozone. Is to find out. The latter is much more related to UV damage reaching the surface. Interestingly, his article is also not taken from the vast literature investigating and documenting ozone trends in all regions of the atmosphere.

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"The results of this work are very controversial,I'm not sure they're right," he said. "The claims in this study of such large ozone changes in the tropics do not reveal me in other highly suspicious studies. Science should not rely on just one study, and this new study is a fact. Careful verification is required before it is accepted. ”

This study is based on Lu et al.'S previous study of ozone destruction theory. For about 20 years, this group has been studying the ozone-depleting mechanism (CRE) initiated by cosmic-ray-driven electronic reactions.

"Current findings are more careful studies on ozone depletion, changes in UV radiation, increased risk of cancer, and other adverse effects on tropical health and ecosystems. "I need it," Lu said.

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