Long recovery ahead for ozone

Ozone loss over the Arctic could get worse before it gets better, scientists at the World Meteorological Organization, WMO, warned last week.

“In the Arctic, we expect we might observe a very serious ozone loss in the future. The same as we have seen in 2004-5 and also back in 2000. This might well happen again depending on the temperature conditions,” said the WMO’s Geir Braathen.

WMO predictions were published in its first Arctic Ozone Bulletin to mark the 2006 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on Saturday.

In August, scientists said the hole in the ozone layer was longer than predicted in 2002. In the Arctic, recovery would be delayed by an additional 15 years or until 2068.

That’s because extreme cold increases the impact of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, blamed for the ozone breakdown.
In 2006, the ozone hole over the Arctic was constantly shifting. As it moved, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, northern Europe and Siberia have been more exposed to harmful ultra-violet rays, or UV-B, from the sun.