Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
09:46
Production and Measurement of Organic Particulate Matter in the Harvard Environmental Chamber
Published on: November 18, 2018
Climate change and atmospheric chemistry: how will the stratospheric ozone layer develop?
1Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Wessling, Germany. martin.dameris@dlr.de
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|October 6, 2010
Summary
The Antarctic ozone hole results from specific meteorological conditions and polar stratospheric clouds, which trigger chemical reactions that deplete ozone. Future ozone layer health depends on both ozone-depleting substances and climate change.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric chemistry
- Ozone layer research
- Climate science
Background:
- The discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985 was unexpected.
- Initial speculation on causes was followed by identification of meteorological factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain the chemical and meteorological processes behind Antarctic ozone depletion.
- To highlight the role of polar stratospheric clouds in ozone destruction.
- To underscore the influence of climate change on the ozone layer's future.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of atmospheric conditions over Antarctica.
- Identification of temperature thresholds for polar stratospheric cloud formation.
- Investigation of chemical reactions on cloud particles.
Main Results:
- Extreme ozone depletion occurs between 15-30 km altitude.
- Polar stratospheric clouds, forming below 195 K, are crucial for initiating ozone-destroying reactions.
- Heterogeneous chemical reactions on cloud particles are the primary mechanism for ozone destruction.
Conclusions:
- Antarctic ozone depletion is driven by low temperatures and polar stratospheric clouds.
- The future of the ozone layer is linked to both ozone-depleting substances and ongoing climate change.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
01:27Microbes and Climate Change
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...
03:40Hess's Law
There are two ways to determine the amount of heat involved in a chemical change: measure it experimentally, or calculate it from other experimentally determined enthalpy changes. Some reactions are difficult, if not impossible, to investigate and make accurate measurements for experimentally. And even when a reaction is not hard to perform or measure, it is convenient to be able to determine the heat involved in a reaction without having to perform an experiment.
01:16What is Climate?
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
01:46Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis
In ozonolysis, ozone is used to cleave a carbon–carbon double bond to form aldehydes and ketones, or carboxylic acids, depending on the work-up.
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
01:22The Sulfur Cycle
Sulfur, an important element in the chemical makeup of proteins, is recycled through the atmosphere and aquatic and terrestrial environments. Found in the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur is released by decaying organisms, weathered rocks, geothermal vents, volcanos, and burning fossil fuels. It is deposited into the ecosystem, cycled through the biotic community, and either released back into the atmosphere as gas or deposited in marine sediment for long-term storage and eventual...