The stratospheric ozone hole: a man-caused chemical instability

The discovery of the spring time stratospheric ozone hole by scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, led by Joe Farman, was one of the greatest surprises in the history of the atmospheric sciences and global change studies. After intensive research efforts by many international scientific teams it has clearly been demonstrated that the observed rapid ozone depletions are due to catalytic reactions involving CIO radicals, more than 80571130f which are produced by the photochemical breakdown of the industrial chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases. In this lecture I will present the course of events leading to the rapid ozone depletions. International agreements have been reached to forbid the production of the CFC gases. However, despite these measures, it will take almost 50 years before the ozone hole will have disappeared. I will also show that mankind has indeed been very lucky and that things could have been far worse.