About Future Ozone And Defects

What does Ozone Damage look like?

When exposed to high levels of ozone, many plants show damage on their leaves. Older leaves have the most damage. Plants with ozone damage have very fine colored spots on the upper surfaces of their leaves, and some leaves also turn yellow.

Why does NASA have an Ozone Garden?

NASA's work involves a great deal of research in the service of society on our own planet, including studies of air quality. The Ozone Garden helps to educate people about ozone in our atmosphere. NASA's vision is to improve life here, to extend life to there, and to find life beyond. Ozone research contributes to the NASA vision by using satellite missions, such as Aura, to monitor the health of Earth's atmosphere.

What is Ozone?

Ninety percent of the ozone in the atmosphere sits in the stratosphere, the layer of atmosphere between about 10 and 50 kilometers altitude. Ozone in the stratosphere is created when the kind of oxygen we breathe - O2 - is split apart by sunlight into single oxygen atoms. Single oxygen atoms can re-join to make O2, or they can join with O2 molecules to make ozone (O3)

Where is Ozone?

Ozone is found in two places in the Earth's atmosphere. Ozone in the Earth's upper atmosphere (stratosphere) protects life from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. High concentrations of ozone found in the Earth's lower atmosphere (troposphere) are hazardous to life.

How is Tropospheric Ozone Created?

Ozone in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) is created through a series of reactions involving man-made chemical species such as Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Chemical species that contribute to ground level ozone.

How does it affect me?

In high concentrations, ground level ozone is toxic to human tissue. When ozone levels get too high, the EPA issues "Code Red" days, on which humans should limit their time outdoors.

Look ahead in the world of contusion and chaos, we often feel the need to step into a realm of peace and tranquility. The 20th century since 1950 may rightly be called The Era of Development’ due to rapid industrialization. Urbanization and colonization Development became synonymous with growth. The exploitation of colonies and extension of trade cmpiresptoyed an Important role Intt. As I consequence, today the earth has become the victim of onslaught of a materialistic civilization.

ill Effects Of Pollution

The ill effects of industrial pollution and deforestation are now apparent Carbon monoxide and other harmful gases have spread in the atmosphere.
Forests have disappeared and lakes have dried up. The sight of open, clear sky has become a distant dream. Trees are also disappearing day by day. Due to this, many species have become extinct. Thus it can be rightly said: Pollution Pollution Every where Not even a single fight left to stare Due to this, ecological balance has been facing a grave threat. This problem has become 10 complex and universal that no country can succeed in tackling it alone. Inspite of the dedicated efforts of the developing and developed countries there exists a wide gap between awareness and action towards environment protection.

What To Do to save earth from Pollution

At this critical juncture/ the world has to act as a Global Community. Unless our development plans are guided by our environment needs, we will tail to achieve sustainable progress. The governments of respective countries alone cannot be blamed. People should also co-operate with them ,so the problem of pollution.?

REPAIRING THE OZONE LAYER

Scientists have found "holes" in the ozone layer high above the Earth. The 1990 Clean Air Act has provisions for fixing the holes, but repairs will take a long time. Ozone in the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere nine to 31 miles above the Earth, serves as a protective shield, filtering out harmful sun rays, including a type of sunlight called ultraviolet B. Exposure to ultraviolet B has been linked to
development of cataracts (eye damage) and skin cancer. In the mid-1970s, scientists suggested that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) could destroy stratospheric ozone. CFCs were widely used then as aerosol propellants in consumer products such as hair sprays and deodorants, and for may uses in industry. Because of concern about the possible effects of CFCs on the ozone layer, in 1978 the U.S. government banned CFCs as propellants in aerosol cans.

Since the aerosol ban, scientists have been measuring the ozone layer. A few years ago, and ozone hole was found above Antarctica, including the area of the South Pole. This hole, which has been appearing each year during the Antarctic winter (our summer), is bigger than the continental United States. More recently, ozone thinning has been found in the stratosphere above the northern half of the United States; the hole extends over Canada and up into the Arctic regions (the area of the North Pole). The hole was first found only in winter and spring, but more recently has continued into summer. Between 1978 and 1991, there was a 4-5 percent loss of ozone in the stratosphere over the United States; this is a significant loss of ozone. Ozone holes have also been found over northern Europe.

What could a thinned-out ozone layer do to people's lives? There could be more skin cancers and cataracts. Scientists are looking into possible harm to agriculture, and there is already some evidence of damage to plant life in Antarctic seas. Evidence that the ozone layer is dwindling let 93 nations, including the major industrialized nations, to agree to cooperate in reducing production and use of chemicals that destroy the ozone layer. As it became clear the ozone layer was thinning even more quickly than first thought, the agreement was revised to speed up the phase-out of ozone-destroying chemicals. Unfortunately, it will be a long time before we see the ozone layer repaired. Because of the ozone-destroying chemicals already in the stratosphere and those that will arrive within the next few years, ozone destruction will likely continue for another twenty years.

The 1990 Clean Air Act sets a schedule for ending production of chemicals that destroy stratospheric ozone. Chemicals that cause the most damage will be phased out first. The phase-out schedule can be speeded up if an earlier end to production of ozone-destroying substances is needed to protect the ozone layer. The table on this page on Ozone-destroying chemicals includes "speeded-up" phase-out dates which were proposed by EPA in early 1993. CFCs, Halons, HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) and other ozone-destroying chemicals were listed by Congress in the 1990 Clean Air Act and must be phased out. The Act also lets EPA list other chemicals that destroy ozone. EPA issues allowances to control manufacture of chemicals being phased out. Companies can also sell unused allowances to companies still making the chemicals or can use the allowances, within certain limits, to make a different, less ozone-destroying chemical on the phase-out list. In addition to requiring the phasing out of production of ozone-destroying chemicals, the Clean Air Act takes other types to protect the ozone layer. The law requires recycling of CFCs and labeling of products containing ozone-destroying chemicals. The 1990 Clean Air Act also encourages the development of "ozone-friendly" substitutes for ozone-destroying chemicals.

CFCs from car air conditioners are the biggest single source of ozone-destroying chemicals. By the end of 1993, all car air conditioner systems must be serviced using equipment that recycles CFCs and prevents their release into the air. Larger auto service shops were required to start using this special equipment in January 1992. Only specially-trained and certified repair persons will be allowed to buy the small cans of CFCs used in servicing auto air conditioners. As CFCs and related chemicals are phased out, appliances and industrial processes that now use the chemicals will change. For example, industrial and home refrigerators will be changed to use refrigerants that don't destroy ozone. In the meantime, refrigerator servicing and disposal will have to be done in ways that don't destroy ozone. In the meantime, refrigerator servicing and disposal will have to be done in ways that don't release CFCs. Methyl chloroform, also called

1,1,1-trichloro-Methyl chloroethane, which will be phased out by 1996, is a very widely-used solvent found in products such as automobile brake cleaners (often sold as aerosol sprays) and spot removers used to take greasy stains off fabrics. Replacing methyl chloroform in workplace and consumer products will lead to changes in many products and processes. As substitutes are developed for ozone-destroying substances, before the chemicals can be produced and sold, EPA must determine that the replacements will be safe for health and the environment.

Consumer Products:

Hair sprays paints, foam plastic products (such as disposable Styrofoam coffee cups), carburetor and choke sprays-all are consumer products that may be regulated under the 1990 Clean Air Act. These products will be regulated to reduce releases of smog-forming VOCs and ozone-destroying chemicals (CFCs and related chemicals). By May 1993, consumer products containing CFCs and related chemicals identified in the 1990 Clean Air Act as most damaging to the ozone are required to have a warning label. All products containing less destructive ozone- destroying chemicals identified in the 1990 Act must be labeled by 2015. Consumers should be aware of product changes and any safety or health problems that may be caused by the new ozone-safe formulations. Material safety data sheets for the products should be read for health and safety information and information on how to use and dispose of the product. The 1990 Clean Air Act orders EPA to study VOC releases from consumer products and report to Congress by 1993 on whether these products should be regulated. If they are to be regulated, EPA is to list the consumer products that account for at least 80 percent of VOC releases, and issue regulations for product categories, starting with the worst polluters. Labeling, repackaging, chemical formula changes, fees or other procedures may be used to reduce VOC releases.

The ozone layer is a layer of gas present in an upper part of the atmosphere called the stratosphere; the ozone layer is mostly found around 9 – 21 miles above sea level. It is useful for life and protects us from ultraviolet (UV) radiation harmful to our health. Dangers of continuous exposure to harmful UV rays include immune system suppression, skin cancer, and cataracts.

Depletion was observed in the ozone layer in late 1970s, which studies say is caused by gases known as ozone depleting substances (ODSs). These substances are used in utilities like refrigerators, fire extinguishers, and aerosols. When they are released and escape to the stratosphere, they prompt reactions with ozone gas a creating a wide depletion in the ozone.

An international agreement in 1987 in Montreal, Canada, bars the use of these gases and encourages that they are replaced with substances that are not harmful to the ozone layer. This agreement, known as the Montreal Protocol, makes the world see ozone layer depletion as a settled environmental issue.

The layer of the atmosphere below the ozone layer is located from the sea level up and is known as the troposphere; this is where heat trapping gases concentrate to trap heat to the earth's surface. Global warming occurs principally from the troposphere where anthropogenic emissions join natural Green House Gases (GHGs) to collectively trap more heat to the earth surface.

Global warming is said to be responsible for several environmental effects like floods, wild fires, and more. Many believe the solution for global warming is curbing CO2 emissions. But this can only be done if it is binding for nations.

Geoengineering is seen as another option to curb global warming, especially if curbing emissions is not possible. Geoengineering involves intentional manipulation of the Earth's climate system to prevent excesses that may be responsible for warming on the Earth's surface. Geoengineering received attention after British scientists introduced a project and the U.S. Bipartisan Policy Center submitted a report on some of the possible geoengineering procedures that could take place.

Many believe geoengineering may have consequences that are too harsh for our fragile climate system. Proponents of this procedures believe that if the experiment is carried out and the unexpected happens, it can be halted immediately, but geoengineering may just be the solution that we need.

Geoengineering may come sooner or later if global warming clearly puts the environment in danger. This determines whether the geoengineering procedures are implemented before are after they are tested for safety. 

Geoengineering for global warming may further deplete the ozone layer, causing more harm than good, according to some scientists. However, this should not stop a procedure that will help planet Earth from the risks faced by global warming.

A report presents the possibility of geoengineering the ozone layer by injecting oxygen gas to depleted parts of the ozone layer. Oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, and ozone molecules are continually reacting in the presence of UV light in the ozone layer as reactions that protect from harmful UV rays. Oxygen can be produced in large quantities, stored as liquid, and discharged as gas at that level; submitting preference for oxygen is practically difficult for ozone gas.

Aerodyne and aerostats can be used to convey oxygen in a move to close the depleted part of the ozone layer and save the planet from harmful UV radiations. The importance of this geoengineering procedure may clear in some years from now, and it is not likely to have major consequences. Gases will be added to a layer of gas and this should not upset the balance of gases at that level. This research is developing and should be ready for use in a few years.

True Facts Of Ozone At Present

Harmful Effects Of Ozone Layer Depletion

The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of different layers. The layer closest to the surface is called the troposphere which extends from the Earth’s surface up to about 10 kilometers. The ozone layer is located above the troposphere in the stratosphere (10 Ian to about 50 Ian high). Stratospheric ozone is Earth’s natural protection for all life forms, shielding our planet from harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. UV- B radiation is harmful to humans, animals, and plant life. The ozone layer is being destroyed by certain industrial chemicals including ozone depleting refrigerants, halos, and methyl bromide, a deadly pesticide generally used on crops. Ozone depletion damage gets much worse when the stratosphere is very cold. This has been the case for the past two years, causing extensive ozone depletion. This past winter, ozone depletion reached the most severe levels ever recorded over the Northern Hemisphere. Western United States ozone levels also continue to drop 3- 4 per cent per decade. Even if all of our

efforts to stop harmful emissions are successful, the ozone layer is not expected to begin recovery until around 2020 at the earliest. Ozone depletion occurs in many places in the Earth’s ozone layer, most severely in the Polar Regions. NOAA scientists have travelled to Antarctica to study the ozone depletion that has been occurring there since the late 1970s. In 1986, soon after the reported discovery of the ozone hole, Agronomy Lab (now ESRL) scientist Dr. Susan Solomon led a team of 16 scientists, reached to the conclusion that human- produced trace gases containing chlorine and bromine were causing the ozone hole. This unique record from the South Pole station clearly shows the annual development of the spring time Antarctic ozone depletion over the past two decades.

Ozone and the NOAA

Ozone depletion at the South Pole can also be viewed from another perspective through the images created from data collected by the NASA TOMS satellite, and the NOAA SBUV-2 instruments aboard NOAA satellites. Continued surveillance is necessary in order to verify the expected recovery of the ozone layer. Arctic Ozone Significant depletion also occurs in the Arctic ozone layer during the late winter and spring period (January – April). However, the maximum depletion is generally less severe than that observed in the Antarctic, with no large and recurrent ozone hole taking place in the certain industrial processes and consumer products result in the atmospheric emission of ozone-depleting gases. These gases contain chlorine and bromine atoms, which are known to be harmful to the ozone layer. These gases eventually reach the stratosphere, where they are broken apart to release ozone-depleting chlorine atoms. Methyl bromide is another important area of research for NASA scientists.

Primarily used as an agricultural fumigant, it is also a significant source of bromine to the atmosphere. Although some ozone depleting gases also are emitted from natural sources, emissions from human activities exceed those from natural sources. NOAA researchers regularly measure ozone depleting gases in the lower and upper atmosphere and attempt to account for observed changes. As a result of international regulations, ozone depleting gases are being replaced in human activities with ‘ozone-friendly’ gases. The world’s population is a stakeholder in decisions that limit the emissions of ozone depleting gases. In 1987, the international community put in place a treaty known as the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer. Since that initial treaty was ratified, periodic assessments and updates have been conducted. The Protocol success has derived in part from these scientific updates on the science and observation of ozone depletion made over the past 15+ years. Global Dimming “Each year less light reaches the surface of the Earth.

No one is sure what’s causing ‘global dimming’ or what it means for the future. In fact most scientists have never heard of it. But it has become a cause of concern today and several scientists are working on it.” What is global dimming? Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global hemispherical irradiance (or total solar irradiance) at the Earth’s surface or in other words the reduction of heat reaching the earth is known as Global Dimming. Causes and Effects .. Though the actual cause of Global dimming is yet to ascertain yet some scientists think that it’s nothing to do with changes in the amount of radiation arriving from the sun, Although that varies as the sun’s activity rises and falls and the Earth moves closer or further away, the global dimming effect is much, much larger and the opposite of what would be expected given there has been a general increase in overall solar radiation over the past 150 years.

That means something must have happened to the Earth’s atmosphere to stop the arriving sunlight penetrating. The few experts who have studied the effect believe it’s down to air pollution. Tiny particles of soot or chemical compounds like sulphates reflect sunlight and they also promote the formation of bigger, longer lasting clouds. “The cloudy times are getting darker”, says Cohen, at the Volcani Centre. “If it’s cloudy then darker, but when it’s sunny things haven’t changed much.” Global dimming creates a cooling effect that may have partially masked the effect of greenhouse gases on global warming. Fossil fuel use, as well as producing greenhouse gases, creates other by-products. These by-products are also pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide, soot, and ash. These pollutants however, also change the properties of clouds.

Clouds are formed when water droplets are seeded by air-borne particles, such as pollen. Polluted air results 

in clouds with larger number of droplets than unpolluted clouds. This then makes those clouds more reflexive. More of the sun’s heat and energy is therefore reflected back into space. It is currently thought that the effect of global dimming is probably due to the increased presence of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. Aerosol particles and other particulate pollutants absorb solar energy and reflect sunlight back into space. The pollutants can also become nuclei for cloud droplets. It is thought that the water droplets in clouds coalesce around the particles. Increased pollution, resulting in more particulates, creates clouds consisting of a greater number of smaller droplets, which in turn makes them more reflective, therefore bouncing more sunlight back into space. Clouds intercept both heat from the sun and heat radiated from the Earth. Their effects are complex and vary in time, location and altitude. Usually during the daytime the interception of sunlight predominates, giving a cooling effect; however, at night the re-radiation of heat to the Earth slows the Earth’s heat loss. The impacts of global dimming itself, however, can be devastating. Millions from Famines in the Sahel in the 70s and 80s .

The death toll that global dimming may have already caused is thought to be massive. Research Climatologists studying this phenomenon believe that the reflection of heat have made waters in the northern hemisphere cooler. As a result, less rain has formed in key areas and crucial rainfall has failed to arrive over the Sahel in Northern Africa In the 1970s and 1980s, massive famines were caused by failed rains which climatologists had never quite understood why they had failed.

 The answers that global dimming models seemed to provide, the documentary noted, has led to a chilling conclusion: “what came out of our exhaust pipes and power stations [from Europe and North America] contributed to the deaths of a million people in Africa, and afflicted 50 million more” with hunger and starvation. Billions are likely to be affected in Asia from similar effects. Scientists said that the impact of global dimming might not be in the millions, but billions. The Asian monsoons bring rainfall to half the world’s population. If this air pollution and global dimming has a detrimental impact on the Asian monsoons some 3 billion people could be affected. It is also concluded that the imbalance between global dimming and global warming at the surface leads to weaker turbulent heat fluxes to the atmosphere. This means globally reduced evaporation and hence precipitation occur in a dimmer and warmer world, which could ultimately lead to a more humid atmosphere in which it rains less.

This phenomenon of ‘global dimming’ is now being accepted as a reality by scientists the world over. Some of them believe that this may help in protecting the planet from global warming, according to a report in the Nature. There’s massive evidence that the world is indeed getting warmer. But it’s also getting darker. In fact, many scientists believe that global dimming puts the brakes on the warping of our planet. 

Without global dimming, global warming would be much, much worse! And there’s no telling which will win in the end, heat or cold. Roughly speaking, global dimming is faster and heftier, while global warming is slower and more gradual. Somewhere down the line, there could be a threshold, a point where Dimming beats Warming or Warming beats Dimming. Whosoever be the winner the sufferer is the human being. NOAA researchers from several laboratories have participated in all of these scientific updates and have also been active in preparing outreach documents to communicate the science of ozone depletion to the public.

About Ozone

The Ozone Layer 

Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in our atmosphere. Most of it is concentrated in the ozone layer, a region located in the stratosphere several miles above the surface of the Earth. Although ozone represents only a small fraction of the gas present in the atmosphere, it plays a vital role by shielding humans and other life from harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun. Human activities in the last several decades have produced chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have been released into the atmosphere and have contributed to the depletion of this important protective layer. When scientists realized the destructive effect these chemicals could have on the ozone layer, international agreements were put in place to limit such emissions. As a result, it is expected that the ozone layer will recover in the coming decades. 

 

Ozone is also a greenhouse gas in the upper atmosphere and, therefore, plays a role in Earth's climate. The increases in primary greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, may affect how the ozone layer recovers in coming years. Understanding precisely how ozone abundances will change in a future with diminished chlorofluorocarbon emissions and increased emissions of greenhouse gases remains an important challenge for atmospheric scientists in NOAA and other research centers.

Ozone Research

NOAA Research has, for many years, played a vital role in studying the ozone layer. For instance, at the Chemical Sciences Division of ESRL, researchers are conducting laboratory and field experiments and designing computer models to study this issue. One of the primary missions of ESRL's Global Monitoring Division is to observe and understand the ozone layer through accurate, long-term measurements of ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, greenhouse gases, and solar radiation.

Taking Observations

NOAA researchers build and deploy instruments all over the world to measure ozone, as well as the trace gases and aerosol particles that affect its abundance. They also participate in many field experiments to study and document the processes that control atmospheric ozone. Research scientists take ozone measurements using instruments located on the ground and onboard aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The data from these instruments provide precise measurements that can be used to detect small regional ozone changes over long periods of time, provide global maps of ozone amounts and examine local ozone distributions.

Ozone Depletion

Antarctica

Ozone depletion occurs in many places in the Earth's ozone layer, most severely in the polar regions. NOAA scientists have traveled to Antarctica to study the ozone hole that has been occurring there since the late 1970s. In 1986, soon after the reported discovery of the ozone hole, Aeronomy Lab (now ESRL) scientist Dr. Susan Solomon led a team of 16 scientists, the National Ozone Expedition (NOZE I), to Antarctica. The scientists took measurements of various trace gases and physical properties of the atmosphere. The data, along with additional findings from the NOZE II mission the following year, showed conclusively that human-produced trace gases that contain chlorine and bromine were causing the ozone hole. The Global Monitoring Division of ESRL has monitored the yearly Antarctic ozone hole since 1986 by launching balloon-borne ozonesondes, from the South Pole station and measuring total column ozone from a ground based Dobson spectrophotometer since 1963.

This unique record from the South Pole station clearly shows the annual development of the springtime Antarctic ozone hole over the past two decades. Ozone depletion at the South Pole can also be viewed from another perspective through the images created from data collected by the NASA TOMS satellite, and the NOAA SBUV-2 instruments aboard NOAA satellites. These various ozone measurements provide an important record of the status of the ozone hole. Continued surveillance is necessary in order to verify the expected recovery of the ozone layer.

Arctic Ozone

Significant depletion also occurs in the Arctic ozone layer during the late winter and spring period (January - April). However, the maximum depletion is generally less severe than that observed in the Antarctic, with no large and recurrent ozone hole taking place in the Arctic.

Since the 1980's, scientists at ESRL have been participants in field, theoretical, and laboratory research to demonstrate some of the key processes that contribute to the observed difference between the depletion of ozone in the Arctic and Antarctic. For example, the POLARIS mission in 1997, was designed to study ozone photochemistry in the Arctic during the summertime at middle and high latitudes. And later, the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) campaign was designed to examine the processes controlling ozone levels at mid- to high latitudes in the Arctic during the winter. The mission also acquired correlative data needed to validate the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III satellite measurements that are used to quantify high-latitude ozone loss. Both these experiments took measurements using the NASA DC-8 and ER-2 aircraft, as well as balloon platforms and ground-based instruments

Atmospheric Models

Another NOAA lab involved in studying stratospheric ozone depletion is the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) in Princeton, N.J. GFDL seeks to understand and predict the Earth's climate and weather, including the impact of human activities. Specifically, GFDL conducts leading-edge research (i.e., atmospheric chemistry modeling) on many topics of great practical value, including stratospheric ozone depletion. For example, the GFDL group developed a 3-D atmospheric model tailored to study the interaction of chemistry, dynamics, and radiation in the stratosphere. Their extensive calculations were necessary for evaluating the simpler models used in the policy assessment studies, as well as for understanding the climatic impact of the Antarctic ozone hole.

Ozone-Depleting Substances

Certain industrial processes and consumer products result in the atmospheric emission of ozone-depleting gases. These gases contain chlorine and bromine atoms, which are known to be harmful to the ozone layer. Important examples are the CFCs and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), human-produced gases once used in almost all refrigeration and air conditioning systems. These gases eventually reach the stratosphere, where they are broken apart to release ozone-depleting chlorine atoms. Other examples are the halons,which are used in fire extinguishers and which contain ozone-depleting bromine atoms. 

Methyl bromide, is another important area of research for NOAA scientists. Primarily used as an agricultural fumigant, it is also a significant source of bromine to the atmosphere. Although some ozone-depleting gases also are emitted from natural sources, emissions from human activities exceed those from natural sources.

NOAA researchers regularly measure ozone depleting gases in the lower and upper atmosphere and attempt to account for observed changes. As a result of international regulations, ozone-depleting gases are being replaced in human activities with "ozone-friendly" gases that have much reduced potential to deplete ozone. NOAA researchers are also measuring these "substitute" gases as they accumulate in the atmosphere. Observing changes in both old and new gases emitted into the atmosphere allows researchers to improve our understanding of the fate of these gases after release and thereby improve our ability to predict future ozone changes.

Winter Ozone Summaries

The full range of ground-based and satellite-based observations from several NOAA offices are collected together and used to describe the past Arctic or Antarctic winter in the Climate Prediction Center's Winter Ozone Summaries. The contributors include the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), NOAA Research and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, Information Services (NESDIS). By monitoring and researching stratospheric ozone, as well as the chemical compounds and atmospheric conditions that affect its concentration, NOAA has contributed vital information toward protecting the Earth's stratospheric ozone layer. Perhaps most notable is NOAA's instrumental role in providing ozone data and analysis for the United Nations Environmental Programme and World Meteorological Organization.

Communicating Information on Ozone depletion

The world's population is a stakeholder in decisions that limit the emissions of ozone-depleting gases. In 1987, the international community put in place a treaty known as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer . Since that initial treaty was ratified, periodic assessments and updates have been conducted. The Protocol success has derived in part from these scientific updates on the science and observation of ozone depletion made over the past 15+ years. NOAA researchers from several laboratories have participated in all of these scientific updates and have also been active in preparing outreach documents to communicate the science of ozone depletion to the public.