From: KPJ (kpj@sics.se)
Date: Wed Apr 28 1999 - 03:31:45 MDT
It appears as if Michael S. Lorrey <mike@lorrey.com> wrote:
|
|The ozone layer is fine for most of the planet. The ozone 'hole' is a
|phenomenon which centers around the south pole and forms in winter
|there, when atmospheric temperatures are low enough that ozone becomes
|unstable enough for chlorine ions to do their dirty work. The chlorine
|ions come from several sources, but the exaggeration in the ozone hole
|is supposedly the result of increased use of chloro-fluoro-carbons as
|refrigerants and fillers for aerosol sprays. Supposedly our emission
|levels of these are now low enough that the ozone hole should go away by
|itself in 5-10 years.
There exists an ozone depletion area ("hole") above the Arctic, as well,
mainly active during the Arctic winter season.
According to STUK, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland,
the UV radiation has increased approximately 12% since the beginning of
the 1980s. STUK expected a 20-30% increase in skin cancer if no change
in the population's behaviour appear (like avoiding the direct sun shine).
The charts showing the movement of the hole showed it rotates, and varies
in size with the rotation. The hole extended down to Germany and France
during the winter.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:03:39 MST