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According to a new study, from late 2019 until early 2020, Australia’s ‘Black Summer’ bushfires damaged the Earth’s ozone layer by burning millions of tons of soot and ash into the air.
The rotating ozone hole over Antarctica can be traced to the unprecedented burn in Australia, which caused a “smoke-infused thunderstorm,” according to a report published Thursday in Scientific Reports.
The intensity and scale of the fires are unmatched with more than 5.8 million hectares across the country, “with the result that millions of tons of smoke and associated gases are injected into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere,” they wrote. researchers.
Over time, the smoke particles have accumulated long enough to cause stratosphere warming higher than the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption in 1991. Additionally, stratospheric cooling extended the longevity of the ozone hole above Antarctica. as it grew to a larger than average size in 2021.
AUSTRALIA WILDFIRE ENCOURAGES FIREFIGHTERS IN A FEW MINUTES WHILE “DAY BECOMES NIGHT” IN DRAMATIC VIDEO
The Australian “Black Summer” bushfires caused significant damage to the Earth’s ozone layer.
(AP)
The ozone layer is vital to the Earth because it absorbs the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet radiation, which causes skin cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
“Our climate models suggest an increase in the frequency and intensity of fires in the future due to global warming,” said study co-author Jim Haywood in a statement to AFP. “This could lead to more events like the one in 2020, which in turn could lead to greater ozone depletion.”
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“So the considerable efforts we have made to protect the ozone hole could be thwarted by global warming.”
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