German Aerospace Center - Though "Hole" Smaller In Size, No Improvement In Polar Ozone Depletion

[hatrack]

EDIT

Again this year, the latest DLR analysis for the GOME-2/MetOp data on the ozone hole indicates no evidence of a significant recovery of the ozone layer. Typically, the ozone hole over the Antarctic closes until late in Spring, so is usually in evidence from August to December. The ozone hole has now been observed for the first time by the new GOME-2 instrument (Global Ozone Monitoring Instrument 2). GOME-2 was onboard the EUMETSAT MetOp Earth observation satellite launched on 12 October 2006, and takes continuous measurements of the atmosphere.

GOME-2 continues the series of ESA instruments GOME/ERS-2 and SCIAMACHY/ENVISAT which have been observing the ozone layer successfully since 1995 and 2002, respectively. The atmospheric data from GOME-2 measurements were derived at the request of EUMETSAT by DLR's Remote Sensing Technology Institute in Oberpfaffenhofen. Initial validation of GOME-2 ozone data by ground measurements confirmed the high quality of the satellite data. Thus, GOME-2 can be relied upon for analytical purposes.

As part of EUMETSAT project AGORA, the GOME-2 ozone data are regularly refined using data assimilation methods at DLR's German Remote Data Sensing Centre. There, the ozone data are combined with models which describe the meteorology, physics and chemistry of the atmosphere. This allows thorough mapping of the ozone layer and a prediction of ozone distribution. These models can also provide additional information not available from the measurements alone. One example is the determination of the chemical depletion rates of ozone. Up-to-date ozone data and ozone depletion rates are available daily in near real time on the Internet at the World Data Centre for Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere.

It was noticeable in mid-September this year that the spread of the ozone hole had undergone a strong reversal (red curve in illustration). This was caused by unusual meteorological conditions in the south polar stratosphere. The stratosphere extends to a height of about 10 to 50 kilometres. It contains most of the ozone that protects us from the carcinogenic UV rays of the Sun. Abnormal conditions affect the ozone layer this year



EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Initial_Measurements_From_GOME_2_Show_No_Substantial_Recovery_In_The_Ozone_Hole_999.html