Ozone depletion over Arctic at record level: WMO

[kpete]

Source: AFP

– 1 hr 15 mins ago
GENEVA (AFP) – Depletion of the ozone layer over the Arctic has reached record levels, and Nordic countries will have to watch for higher than normal ultraviolet radiation in coming weeks, the UN weather agency said Tuesday.

The Arctic ozone layer suffered a loss of about 40 percent from the beginning of winter to late March, up from the previous record of about 30 percent over the entire winter, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

"Depletion of the ozone layer -- the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet rays -- has reached an unprecedented level over the Arctic this spring because of the continuing presence of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere and a very cold winter in the stratosphere," the WMO said in a statement.

With the ozone deficient region shifting away in late March from the pole to cover Greenland and Scandinavia, these Nordic regions would have to watch for higher than normal ultraviolet radiation in coming weeks.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110405/sc_afp/wmoozoneclimateweatherarctic_20110405121743

[itsrobert]

1. Poor wording?

Wouldn't depletion of ozone be at a record high? Is ozone at a record low. Or depletion is at a record low. Because if depletion is low, that would mean ozone is at a high. I don't know.

[Doctor_J]

2. Where do you read that depletion is low?

"Depletion of the ozone layer over the Arctic has reached record levels"

"ozone layer suffered a loss of about 40 percent"

""Depletion of the ozone layer -- the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet rays -- has reached an unprecedented level"

Seems straightfoward to me.

[itsrobert]

3. right, poor reading skills by myself

oops.