Arctic ozone hole research. Polar stratospheric cloud formations (PSCs) over the Arctic, photographed from a NASA DC-8 flying laboratory gathering dat

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Arctic ozone hole research. Polar stratospheric cloud formations (PSCs) over the Arctic, photographed from a NASA DC-8 flying laboratory gathering data on ozone depletion during January & February 1989. PSCs contain ice particles that provide a surface for the chemical reactions that release active chlorine, which can then destroy ozone. The ozone layer protects us from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Research in the Antarctic in 1987 confirmed that ozone depletion - the so-called ozone \hole\" - is caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), man-made chemicals used in aerosols & refrigerants. Here, Type 1 PSCs appear as thin dark orange & brown layers."

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Size: 4802px × 3285px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: arctic, climate, cloud, clouds, depleting, hole, meteorology, ozone, polar, research, stratospheric, type, types, weather