| Term: | Ozone hole |
| Definition: |
A characteristic severe depletion of stratospheric ozone that occurs each spring over the Antarctic continent. The depletion is caused by the catalytic destruction of ozone by chlorine, released from fluorocarbons and activated by the presence of polar stratospheric cloud particles in the extreme cold of the Antarctic stratosphere. AMSglossary
Is a sharp seasonal decrease in stratospheric ozone concentration that occurs over Antarctica in the spring. First detected in the late 1970s, the ozone hole continues to appear as a result of complex chemical reaction in the atmosphere that involves CFCs. PhysicalGeography GCW |