Ozone holes: why didn’t they disappear after the ban on refrigerants?

The ozone layer of the Earth is the accumulation of atmospheric ozone above the surface of the planet at an altitude of 15 to 25 kilometers. This layer delays ultraviolet radiation, harmful to all life forms.

It is interesting that the amount of ozone is not constant throughout the year, and also varies in the equatorial and polar latitudes of our planet. Large amounts of ozone are formed in the stratosphere above the tropics and temperate latitudes as a result of photochemical reactions. Then, ozone is transported towards higher latitudes, where its maximum concentration is observed in spring. But in the summer, under the influence of a large amount of sunlight, which is associated with the onset of a polar day, the destruction of ozone molecules and the thinning of the ozone layer occur. As a result, the so-called ozone holes are formed. At the same time, ozone holes do not mean the complete absence of ozone, they only imply a significant decrease in its concentration.

Scientists are concerned about the problem of the destruction of the ozone layer in the second half of the 20th century, when a huge ozone hole was recorded over the territory of Antarctica. Based on laboratory research by American scientists, a hypothesis was put forward about the anthropogenic origin of ozone holes. Freon (chlorofluorocarbons), which were used in refrigeration equipment, was blamed for their appearance. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was signed, which implied a ban on the use of refrigerants and the global replacement of all refrigerators and air conditioners in accordance with the new standards.

The Montreal Protocol announced the date for the complete disappearance of ozone holes if all measures were taken - 2010. But the miracle did not happen. Ozone holes in the polar regions of our planet continue to occur to this day, casting doubt on the anthropogenic hypothesis of their formation ...

Not so long ago, Russian scientists from the Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk) proposed their theory of the occurrence of ozone holes in the polar regions of the northern hemisphere. They analyzed data on atmospheric ozone since 1978, and also compiled digital maps of seasonal changes in ozone concentration. The data obtained by Krasnoyarsk experts formed the basis of the dynamic theory of the occurrence of ozone holes. It turned out that the annual movements of the ozone masses are natural in nature and are associated more with global processes in the atmosphere of the planet than with the anthropogenic impact of human civilization.