AURA reports on ozone hole In the United States, using data from NASA’s AURA satellite, researchers have determined that the seasonal ozone hole developed over Antarctica last year was smaller than those in previous years. The 2005 assessment of the size and thickness of the ozone layer is the first based on observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on board the agency’s Aura spacecraft, which was launched in 2004. The 2005 ozone hole measured 15.12 million square kilometres at its peak between September and mid-October, which was slightly larger than the previous year’s peak. Scientists also monitor the level of ozone present in the atmosphere from the ground to space. The thickness of the Antarctic ozone layer was the third highest of the last decade, as measured by the lowest reading recorded during the year. The level was 102 Dobson Units. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument is the latest in a series of ozone-observing instruments flown by NASA over the last two decades. This instrument provides a more detailed view of ozone and is also able to monitor chemicals involved in ozone destruction. The instrument is a contribution to the mission from the Netherlands’ Agency for Aerospace Programmes in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute is the principal investigator on the instrument. Website: www.sciencedaily.com ‘Hole’ over Antarctica healing Twenty years after the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole startled the world, scientists say it may take longer to heal than previously thought. A new computer simulation suggests that the hole over the South Pole may not mend for 60 years. Another study shows significant levels of ozone-destroying chemicals still being released in the United States and Canada. According to Mr. Dale Hurst, an atmospheric chemist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Monitoring Centre in Colorado, “It is amazing that these chemicals are still being strongly emitted seven years after their production was banned.” This finding implies that the stockpiles of such chemicals are a lot greater than what researchers anticipated. Mr. Hurst and his team measured levels of six chemicals from planes flying at 3,000-6,000 feet over the United States and Canada. The highest levels they found were of CFC-113, used in the electronics industry to clean circuit boards. Mr. Hurst said that about 45 per cent of the total global emissions of this chemical appear to be coming from the United States and Canada. The ozone hole develops in the Antarctic each winter and vanishes months later. In 2005, the hole reached 15.12 million square kilometres, an area almost as big as Canada and the United States combined. Though this is larger than the 2004 ozone hole, it is smaller than the 16.25 million square kilometres recorded in 1989. Ozone has also been declining over the Arctic, North America and Europe, although not as dramatically. Website: www.mercurynews.com Water vapour: Key to ozone? Scientists are studying the behaviour of water vapour in the atmosphere in a bid to shed light on predicted future changes in the ozone layer, which shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. A team of scientists under the European Union’s ozone monitoring mission, called “SCOUT-03”, has finished collecting data in Australia, where they studied various phenomena, covering water vapour levels, lightning as well as some chemical reactions in the atmosphere. According to German Aerospace Centre scientist Mr. Andreas Fix, “We know pretty well about CFCs and how they destroy ozone, and now we see some water vapour trends in the stratosphere.” Scientists need to learn more about ozone holes and the possible connections to global warming and the water vapour in Earth’s stratosphere. “There is an increase in water vapour and this may also affect the ozone up there,” Mr. Fix said. Scientists have observed an increase in water vapour in the stratosphere from 1960 to 2000, after which its level became constant. However, scientists have not yet decided what impact this might have on ozone loss or recovery, Mr. Fix expressed. The new data on water vapour levels will be put into a computer model. Website: www.bangkokpost.com Cataract cases predicted to rise in the United States A new study indicates that an increase in exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, resulting from further depletion in the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer, could lead to a significant rise in the number of cataracts in the United States. A study undertaken by Dr. Sheila K. West and colleagues at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the United States, has unveiled that unlike skin cancer, which affects people with lighter skin more often, cataracts affect African-Americans at a higher rate than Caucasians. The study used data from a Maryland population-based survey of over 2,500 participants, which provided information on cataracts and UV radiation exposure. By combining this with other data, researchers created a model to depict the risk of cataract in the local population in relation to increasing UV radiation. It is now estimated that by 2050, cataract rates would increase by 1.3-6.9 per cent, thereby resulting in as many as 830,0000 new cases by 2050. This significant increase would add about US$3 billion in health-related costs. Website: www.newsinferno.com Ozone scientists in Australia More than 100 scientists from various nations congregated in the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, Darwin, to conduct experiments that would help predict the health of the ozone layer. This effort is also expected to help improve storm forecasting. Scientists will study the unique storm system north of Darwin known as “Hector”. They will also collect data from tropical clouds to help determine how thunderstorms work and their influence on the environment. Mr. Peter May, a Bureau of Meteorology scientist, states that “The biggest errors that we have in forecasts and the biggest uncertainty in climate models, are associated with the impact of thunderstorms”. Mr. Cornelius Schiller, a German scientist, expressed that the research will also identify the impact of storms on the ozone layer, and in turn predict its condition. Tests would be carried out for three months. Website: www.abcasiapacific.com