Atmospheric scientists and meteorologists in Antarctica monitor ozone concentrations each week by releasing an ‘ozonesonde’.
These hydrogen-filled balloons can ascend up to 35 kilometres, measuring ozone as it moves through the atmosphere, and transmitting data every two seconds during the three-hour flight.
Atmospheric scientist Dr Simon Alexander said that at Davis research station, these ozonesondes have been launched once a week for over 20 years.
“The data collected provide extraordinary detail on ozone depletion during each spring at an important location, as Davis regularly moves in and out of the ozone hole depending upon winds in the stratosphere,” Dr Alexander said.
“The long dataset that Australian scientists have now collected is being used both here and overseas to quantify ozone recovery and help to validate ozone climate models.”
Did you know:
- The Montreal Protocol sets out a mandatory timetable for the phase out of ozone depleting substances, and is considered one of the most successful environment protection agreements.
- By phasing out ozone depleting gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), a potential 40 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been removed since 1995.
- Today, a UV index of 9 is considered high, but without the Montreal Protocol it could have reached 25.
