Ozone Depletion in Arctic Produces Weather Anomaly
Many people are familiar with the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica, but what is less known is that occasionally, the protective ozone layer in the stratosphere above the Arctic also disintegrates, depleting the ozone layer there. This last happened in the spring months of 2020, and before that, in the spring of 2011. Whenever the ozone layer is depleted, climate scientists then observe weather anomalies throughout the northern hemisphere. In central and northern Europe, Russia and especially in Siberia, spring is very warm and dry. In other areas, such as the polar regions, however, wet conditions prevail. This weather anomaly is especially noticeable in 2020. Switzerland is also unusually warm and dry that spring. Whether there is a causal relationship between the destruction of stratospheric ozone and the observed weather anomalies is a matter of debate in climate research. Polar eddies in the stratosphere, which form in winter and decay in spring, also play a role. Sci