How is global warming causing the depletion of ozone over Antarctica?

Answer 1

The ozone does not deplete faster over Anarctica. The "ozone hole" that forms there is naturally larger. Since it is manned year round complete with scientific instrumentation, and it does form an "ozone hole", it is easier to study the affects of ozone depletion on a region that does not have much ozone for a few months each year. Depletion affects the whole planet, but where the Sun shines intensely year-round (like the equator), ozone is made as fast as it is destroyed.

There are only two spots on our planet that ever show ANY depletion. The larger spot currently is over the Antarctic and the smaller one, at different times of the year, over the arctic.

This is because the only reason their is ever a thinning layer is because the sun cannot reach the ozone layer during these periods. The "hole" (a serious miss term as this is a thinning spot) starts about two weeks after the sun is no longer able to reach this layer. The total "hole" time is about four months. This has been occurring since the beginning of time as far as we are able to tell. The worst condition that we have seen the "hole" in appears to have occurred in the 1800's, before man had ever used any CFC's.

The reason that the "hole" is larger currently in the Southern Hemisphere verses the Northern is due to location of our planet relative to the sun during the sunless portion of each cycle. The orbit of our planet is not a perfect circle. Some periods of the year we are much closer to the sun then other periods. There is also the issue of angle to the sun. These combine to give us (at present) a larger thin area in the South, then in the North. The equator has almost no loss at any time of the year.

Answer 2

Global warming affects the ozone *everywhere*, not just over Antarctica.

It lofts more water vapor.

It softens the thermocline below the ozone layer that keeps most water vapor out of the ozone layer.

Water vapor both blocks ozone production, and provides a pathway for ozone destruction.

Answer 3

The thinning of ozone molecules is called ozone depletion. It is mostly over Antarctica.

Answer 4

It isn't.
See "Why is an ozone hole formed only above Antarctica and not over developed countries that emit a lot of CFCs?"

Answer 5

ozone depletion is most over Antarctica. It is due to the cold temperatures and polar stratospheric clouds.