Giant [2.5m sq. km.] ozone hole 'forming over Tibet' (Chinese scientists warn)

News.Com.AU ^ | May 04, 2006 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Giant ozone hole 'forming over Tibet'

From: Agence France-Presse From correspondents in Beijing
May 04, 2006

CHINESE scientists have warned a 2.5-million-square-kilometre ozone hole may be forming over the Tibetan plateau, state media reported today.

While it does not yet qualify as a regular ozone hole, like the ones over the two poles, the area has seen a dramatic drop in ozone density in recent years, the Xinhua news agency said, citing China's Scientific Report journal. The decrease in ozone over the plateau was caused by atmospheric air movements rather than the global greenhouse effect, Xinhua quoted the journal as saying.

"When low-ozone air currents in the lower layer enter the upper air layer, the overall ozone density is reduced."

Scientists have known about the thinning of the ozone density in the area at least since early this decade, but the report in the journal offers the most solid scientific evidence so far.

The article is based on comprehensive research and analysis of data from both ground monitoring and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer, a satellite-borne instrument used to measure global ozone levels.

Advertisement: Ozone, a molecule of oxygen, exists in a thin layer in the stratosphere, where it helps to filter out ultra-violet light from the sun. It was ravaged by chemicals such as those used as refrigerants and aerosol propellants in the 20th century. Without the ozone layer, plant and human DNA can be damaged, causing destruction of crops and initiating skin cancer.

The Chinese findings came as a study published today in the British journal Nature said optimism that the ozone layer may be restored within the next couple of decades was premature.

Recent assessments that suggest ozone erosion had now permanently stabilised fail to take into account the potential for volcanic eruptions, solar storms and other natural phenomena to distort the picture, the Nature report said

[Baynative]

Its those Sherpas and their hairspray!

[Dog]

We need an army of quilters to knit it closed.

[Lekker 1]

...women, children, and minority Tibetans harderst hit.

[Baynative]

"FREE SAVE TIBET"

[b4its2late]

We need an army of quilters to knit it closed.

[Rummyfan]

Ohmigawd! We're doomed - DOOMED!

[Dallas59]

Americas fault.

[oblomov]

A few months from now when the CCP fries the Tibetans with microwaves, they can blame the carnage on the ozone hole.

[Conan the Librarian]

I always find it funny that they blame this so-called "hole" in the ozone on CFCs, then they tell us that the ban on CFCs is repairing the "hole"

It takes CFCs 50 years to filter up to the upper atmosphere, so, is this damage from 50 years ago? How can the current ban of CFCs effect this?

Also, how can taking a 'picture' of the Ozone Layer over a 20 year period give a good picture of the historical makeup of the Ozone layer. You can't extrapolate history from a picture.

It's like if you took pictures of me running a race. If you looked at the first few, you might think "Wow! If he keeps this up he would be the fastest man alive". If you look at the middle pictures you might think "If he can keep this up, he could be a great long distance runner". If you looked at the last few pictures (the once of me laying on the ground panting and heaving) you might think "Wow, he must have run a long time"

(The actually story would be that I would have run about 10 seconds before collapsing) Lying with statistics time again.

[newguy357]

It takes CFCs 50 years to filter up to the upper atmosphere

Do you have a source for this? It seems like important information that would be nice to have.

[pfony1]

WOW!!! This is SOOOOOoooo interesting!!!

As the world rotates, some of the low-altitude, low-ozone atmosphere over China crashes into the Himalayas and goes UP!!!

Once there, it mixes with high-altitude, high-ozone atmosphere and DILUTES it!!!

Some would say this series of events is further proof that evil humans are destroying the cosmos.

Others would say America has nothing to fear from Chinese "science"...

[Iscool]

A hole in the sky??? Good...Maybe some of that Chinese smog will leak out...

[Conan the Librarian]

I read it somewhere...I don't remember where. I will work on this and post ASAP. Of course my memory may be faulty and I will post a retraction if necessary.

[yankeedame]

I read it somewhere...I don't remember where. I will work on this and post ASAP. Of course my memory may be faulty and I will post a retraction if necessary.

If you remember to. ;0)

[RightWhale]

What will a massive Indonesian volcano do to the ozone layer? Algore asked me to ask because he doesn't want to get involved if it isn't due to human activity.

[Conan the Librarian]

Hey...I'm older now...and I don't have time to go chasing after ManBearPig every day of the week. I'm Serial!