May 16 - Announcement of the Ozone Hole Discovery

This Day in History: 16 May 2020

 

16 May 1985

 

35 years ago, today, three scientists from the British Antarctic Survey announced abnormally low levels of ozone over the South Pole, which became later commonly known as the Ozone Hole. This discovery became a prime example of mankind's ability to damage the Earth's atmosphere and environment. The ozone layer is a region in the Earth's stratosphere that contains high levels of trioxygen, blocking the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Since the 1970s, scientists had been pushing to regulate chlorofluorocarbons, which are chemicals found in everyday items, such as aerosol sprays, as they have an adverse effect on the layer. CFCs were later banned in 1978, but the paper written by Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner, and Jonathan Shanklin, published in the scientific journal 'Nature' revealed the annual depletion of the ozone.

 

This discovery sparked a quick reaction in the international community, as they believed the story to be compelling and easily understandable. Within two years, 46 nations signed the Montreal Protocol, promising to phase out substances known to cause the ozone depletion. Eventually, all 197 members of the United Nations would ratify the treaty. Scientists now predict that the ozone layer will return to its pre-1980 levels before the end of the 21^st century. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the Montreal Protocol "perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date", because of the unanimous adoption of the treaty, and the speed that it was enforced.

 

Want to find out more about the ozone layer's depletion? Click here for more information, or here for a 2019 update on the Ozone Hole.