Unlike the Antarctic ozone hole that develops annually during austral spring (September, October, and November), Arctic ozone levels usually stay well above the ozone hole threshold. The Arctic stratospheric vortex is typically too warm for polar stratospheric clouds to form, which are a key ingredient in severe ozone depletion processes. Much stronger planetary wave activity occurs in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere, which generates stronger dynamical heating to warm the stratospheric Arctic vortex. Despite this, polar meteorologists reported a record-breaking Arctic “ozone hole” during spring 2020, prompting a research inquiry into what caused this unusual phenomenon.
Click here for original story, Spring 2020 Arctic ‘ozone hole’ likely caused by record-high north Pacific Ocean surface temperatures
Source: Phys.org