In 1985, a “hole” in the ozone was discovered.
The “hole” came about due to nitrogen oxides and chlorine compounds (used as refrigerants as well as other things, now know as CFCs). Some complex chemical reactions occur, but in brief, these chemical react with ozone, which is three oxygen atoms or O3, forming CIO and O2, and depleting the ozone.
Turns out the ozone protects us, and the other life on earth, from fierce damage from ultraviolet light.
Well crap.
In the 80s this finally became a concern and the process of banning products that produce these ozone killing chemicals was begun.
Seems like the kind of work that should earn a Nobel Prize. And it did. Paul Crutzen, along with F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario J. Molina, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work showing chlorofluorocarbons and other chemicals were breaking down the ozone, and putting all life on earth at risk.
Crutzen later coined the term Anthropocene to describe our current era, an era where mankind has influenced the planet to such a great degree.
This term, Anthropocene, has started to be used more in scientific publications, though it’s not an officially recognized period of geologic time. Thus, the Anthropocene has no official start date. Though a group has suggested the beginning of the Nuclear fallout era, during the 1950s, as an appropriate beginning.
Back to the ozone: The process of ozone depletion, is, briefly:
- Gases emitted by humans.
- These gases accumulate in the upper atmosphere.
- Some gases swirl into the stratosphere.
- In the stratosphere, those gases react with ozone and deplete it.
- Stratospheric clouds can form, and the ozone depleting chemicals can hand on to this clouds, increasing their affect.
The gases can be removed by rain.
Products that cause ozone depletion were targeted and eventually banned in the late 1980’s. Since that time the ozone hole has started to shrink. This is an example of what can occur when the populace follows science. This disaster was averted, not in small part due to Dr. Crutzen. FYI: His initially training and worked as a civil engineer.
Dr. Crutzen spent time as a research scientist and/or professor at the University of Stockholm (Sweden), the University of Oxford England), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (USA), Colorado State University, the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry, the University of Chicago, the University of California (San Diego) and was Honorary Professor at the University of Mainz, Germany.
FYI: Paul Crutzen died, January 28, 2021, not due to Covid-19, He was 87.
Readings, sources:
Crutzen PJ. (1974). Estimates of Possible Variations in Total Ozone Due to Natural Causes and Human Activities. Ambio 3: 201–210.
Paul J. Crutzen – Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2021. Fri. 26 Feb 2021. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1995/crutzen/biographical/>