New ozone hole can cause “global concern”: Everything to know about the latest discovery 

Scientists recently discovered a large new ozone hole in the the lower stratosphere. This new ozone hole is said to be seven times bigger than the one over Antarctica. Since the stratosphere is responsible for protecting the Earth from the Sun’s UV rays, this is a cause for concern.

While it may have been discovered recently, scientists are claiming that this hole has been sitting over the tropics for more than 30 years now. Qing-Bin Lu, a scientist from the University of Waterloo who played a massive part in the discovery of the new ozone hole, said:

“The existence of the tropical ozone hole may cause a great global concern. The depletion of the ozone layer can lead to increased ground-level UV radiation, which can increase risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans, as well as weaken human immune systems, decrease agricultural productivity, and negatively affect sensitive aquatic organisms and ecosystems.”

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The new ozone hole: Possible cause and effects explored

Experts often describe the ozone hole as an area where there is 25% less gas than the undisturbed area. The recently discovered ozone hole over the Earth’s tropics can expose billions of people to a higher dose of dangerous UV rays from the sun. Scientists have stated that they had not expected it to exist.

Scientists are even more concerned since it appears that this particular hole never closes up, whereas the well-known Antarctic hole opens only during the spring. It is a major concern for the people living in those areas since it could increase the ground-level ultraviolet radiation. This can add to the risk of cancer and cataracts within the region. Some scientists fear an added risk to the ecosystem.

The tropical regions of the Earth include the Equator as well as parts of North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Although the hole has existed for a long time, the late discovery was attributed to the fact that scientists had not expected an ozone hole to exist over the tropics. Before this hole was discovered, it was believed that only the primary chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were responsible for the depletion of ozone in the Earth's atmosphere. This theory was further proven by the properties of the Antarctic ozone hole.

However, many believe that Cosmic-ray-driven electron reaction (CREs) also play a crucial part in depleting the ozone layer. The discovery of the new ozone hole may support that particular model of thought.

Talking about the CRE-initiated ozone-depleting mechanism that Lu and his colleagues worked on, Lu stated:

"The present discovery calls for further careful studies of ozone depletion, UV radiation change, increased cancer risks, and other negative effects on health and ecosystems in the tropical regions.”

Since it was never anticipated, Lu and his colleagues surprised the world with the discovery of the new ozone hole.