The reasons for the strong thinning of the ozone layer in the Arctic coincide with the reasons for a warm winter in Russia, told RIA Novosti doctor of physico-mathematical Sciences, leading researcher of the Institute of numerical mathematics Russian Academy of Sciences Yevgeny Volodin.
Earlier official representative of the world meteorological organization Claire Nullis said that a large ozone hole over the Arctic is closed.
"Such a hole is always associated with anomalies in the atmosphere. Moreover, these anomalies are global. The process is that a stronger westerly wind blowing in temperate latitudes at all altitudes. On the surface he brings a warmer Atlantic air and in the stratosphere it blocks the flow of warm air into the Arctic. The air from the tropics to the Arctic does not penetrate, it cools, and then there are conditions for destruction of the ozone layer", — said Volodin.
He also noted that the strong thinning of the ozone layer and extremely warm winters in Russia are a manifestation of the same process: a strong and continuous flow of Atlantic air.
"In 2011, it was the same: warm winter and a big hole. This rule applies almost always. If the abnormally warm winter in Russia, it is likely to mean a tendency to the formation of ozone holes. What is the cause and what the consequence, then it is difficult to say," — said Volodin.
The scientist explained that the winter begins in the stratosphere of the Arctic in October and coincides with the beginning of the polar night. This reduces the temperature in the stratosphere and formed a stable stratospheric polar vortex, where wind speeds can sometimes exceed 100 meters per second. Inside the vortex temperatures can drop below minus 78°. In these conditions, are formed in polar stratospheric clouds.
"Here-and begin to activate compounds that destroy the ozone layer. An excess of these particles and the increase of ozone holes over the Arctic has occurred due to anthropogenic emissions. In February-March in the Arctic was observed sudden stratospheric warming, and the total ozone content in the area of the stratospheric polar vortex was down to 220 Dobson units — the values taken as the boundary of the ozone "hole" Antarctica", — said Volodin.
The scientist said that the ozone layer reduces the protection from the ultraviolet radiation of a person, other living organisms and plants.
"Over the last 40 years in the Arctic strong ozone depletion was observed only in the winter seasons of 1995-1996, 1996-1997, 2004-2005, 2010-2011, 2015-2016", — said Volodin.
According to the expert, in connection with global climate change the occurrence of anomalous ozone holes in the Arctic will increase slightly.
It should be noted that to save the ozone layer helps international the agreement of the Montreal Protocol. It came into force about 30 years ago, and since then, emissions of ozone-depleting compounds has significantly decreased. However, over the past 30 years, the number of "harmful" for ozone, particles decreased by 10-20%, as they are quite capable of living long in the atmosphere.
