Record December Antarctic Ozone Hole!!!

[neufer]

The modest 2010 Antarctic Ozone Hole has remained remarkably persistent into the high sun 24 hour days of December.
This has resulted in tropical levels of daily surface UV-B radiation levels all over Antarctica!

Influenced by depleted ozone within the Ozone Hole, surface UV-B radiation amounts can reach levels found only in the tropics. This map shows the estimated daily dosage of erythemally weighted UV radiation. This estimate is based upon the first 24 1-hour NOAA/EPA UV Index forecasts. The UV Index forecast values are assumed constant over the hour of each of the 24 1-hour forecasts. The daily dosage is then the sum of all 24 1-hour forecasts. The UV Index forecast is quite accurate for the first 24 hours. The UV Index forecast takes under consideration the total column ozone amount, the sun-earth orientation, the surface elevation, the enhancement effects of snow and ice, aerosol scattering (using a seasonal global climatology), and cloud UV transmission.

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[b][color=#FF0000]Ozone hole area remains strong into 1st week of December![/color][/b]

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SBUV/2 Ozone Hole Yesterday

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[neufer]

[c]Ozone Vertical Sounding time plots at Neumayer Station Antarctica.
Note that the ozone at 17 km. altitude should be getting pinched off from above but it isn't![/c]

Worst October Ozone Hole: 2006

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Worst December Ozone Hole: 2010

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[c]Daily mean total ozone time plots for 2010 & 2006 for Halley and Vernadsky Stations Antarctica.
Note that total ozone is dropping or holding steady when it should be recovering in December![/c]

Click to view full size image 1 or image 2

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/jds/ozo ... oz0607.JPG

Click to view full size image 1 or image 2

[neufer]

The depth of the ozone hole is the lowest ozone column value in Dobson Units (DU) for latitudes below 30° South.

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The size of the ozone hole is the area on the globe in million square km of ozone column values below 220 DU. Note that the Antarctic continent is about 14 million km², the USA is just over 9 million km².

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[Céline Richard]

It is scary to know this.
I was told (i don't know if it is true ) in some parts of the world, people can't go because of UV: at the South of Pantagonia.
Céline

[neufer]

It is scary to know this.

I was told (i don't know if it is true ) in some parts of the world,
people can't go because of UV: at the South of Patagonia.

[size=135][color=#0000FF]Large unstable 2009 ozone hole drops dramatically in area in late September/early October[/color][/size]

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[b][color=#0000FF]Ozone hole over Ushuaia, Argentina on September 26, 2009[/color][/b]

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When a large (i.e., over 20 million square kilometer) but unstable ozone hole drops dramatically in area in late September/early October (as in 2009) the edge of the oblong ozone hole often sweeps over the southern tip of South America for just a day or two. On September 26, 2009 the ozone dropped to half its nominal levels over Ushuaia, Argentina (population: 63,280) meaning that the daily UV-B levels were probably four times greater than normal for that single day. There is a warning system in place there that predicts these events and warns the people to take precautions to limit outdoor activity for the particular day. During the final collapse in late November/early December noticeably (but not dangerously) lower ozone values might also be felt as far as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

<<The ozone hole has been observed over Ushuaia, Argentina (population: 63,280) last September 26, 2009 as is can be observed in the ozone image over Antarctica provided by NASA . Vertical profiles of temperature, relative humidity and ozone, corresponding to 23, 26 and 30 September are plotted in the enclosed figure to compare each other. On September 26 a well layered structure with very low ozone values above 12 km altitude is observed. Extremely low ozone values have been recorded at around 14,500 m altitude (1.2 mPa) and around 17,500 m (0.85 mPa), coincident with very low temperatures (-79ºC). Total column ozone for this day was 148 Dobson Units (DU), clearly lower than 220 DU, the threshold of ozone-hole event. On September 23 and on September 30 Ushuaia was out of the polar vortex influence and vertical profiles showed normal “no-ozone-hole” values, 263 DU and 246 DU, respectively.>>

[Céline Richard]

Thank you a lot Neufer!
Although it remains scary. Fortunately, you write it doesn't last, when it occurrs.

When a large (i.e., over 20 million square kilometer) but unstable ozone hole drops dramatically in area in late September/early October (as in 2009) the edge of the oblong ozone hole often sweeps over the southern tip of South America for just a day or two. On September 26, 2009 the ozone dropped to half its nominal levels over Ushuaia, Argentina (population: 63,280) meaning that the daily UV-B levels were probably four times greater than normal for that single day. There is a warning system in place there that predicts these events and warns the people to take precautions to limit outdoor activity for the particular day. During the final collapse in late November/early December noticeably (but not dangerously) lower ozone values might also be felt as far as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Do you know if the ozone hole could involves consequences for the health of those 63,280 people in Argentina ?
Or, I should rather say, for people who spent all their life here, in Argentina, near Ushuaïa...

Céline

[neufer]

Do you know if the ozone hole could involves consequences for the health of those 63,280 people in Argentina ?

Or, I should rather say, for people who spent all their life here, in Argentina, near Ushuaïa...

Ozone depletion (including the ozone hole) causes an increase in UVB radiation which is the primary cause both of sunburn and of common non-melanoma skin cancers (i.e., common squamous cell & basal cell carcinoma). These problems can be easily dealt with by a careful use of sunSCREEN, clothes and dark glasses and by limiting ones exposure to the sun.

Ozone depletion (including the ozone hole) has absolutely NO effect upon UVA radiation which is the primary cause of dangerous melanoma skin cancers. This much more serious problem can only be dealt with by a careful use of sunBLOCK, clothes and UVA/UVB dark glasses and by limiting ones exposure to the sun.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

----------------------------------------------------------------
In tropical climes
There are certain times
Of day
When all the citizens retire
To tear their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of those rules
That the greatest fools
Obey,
Because the sun is far too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry
Violet ray.

The natives grieve
When the white men leave
Their huts.
Because they're obviously,
Definitely
Nuts.

Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don't care to,
The Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines
Sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen
Detest a
Siesta.
In the Philippines
They have lovely screens
To protect you from the glare.
In the Malay states
There are hats like plates
Which the Britishers won't wear.
At twelve noon
The natives swoon,
And no further work is done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun!

Such a surprise
For the eastern eyes
To see,
That though the English are effete,
They're quite impervious to heat.
When the white man rides
Every native hides
In glee.
Because the simple creatures hope he
Will impale his solar topee
On a tree.

It seems such a shame
When the English claim
The Earth,
That they give rise
To such hilarity
And mirth.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo,
He, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,
Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm, hm.

Mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit
Can never understand it.
In Rangoon
The heat of noon
Is just what the natives shun,
They put their Scotch
Or Rye down
And lie down.
In a jungle town
Where the sun beats down
To the rage of man and beast,
The English garb
Of the English sahib
Merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok
At twleve'o'clock
They foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.

Mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit
Deplores this foolish habit.
In Hong Kong
They strike a gong
And fire off a noonday gun
To reprimand
Each inmate
Who's in late.
In the Mangrove swamps
Where the python romps
There is peace from twelve to two,
Even caribous
Lie around and snooze,
For there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal,
To move at all
Is seldom if ever done.
But mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday sun!

[Céline Richard]

Ozone depletion (including the ozone hole) causes an increase in UVB radiation which is the primary cause both of sunburn and of common non-melanoma skin cancers (i.e., common squamous cell & basal cell carcinoma). These problems can be easily dealt with by a careful use of sunSCREEN, clothes and dark glasses and by limiting ones exposure to the sun.

Ozone depletion (including the ozone hole) has absolutely NO effect upon UVA radiation which is the primary cause of dangerous melanoma skin cancers. This much more serious problem can only be dealt with by a careful use of sunBLOCK, clothes and UVA/UVB dark glasses and by limiting ones exposure to the sun.

So i don't need to worry anymore

Very funny video and singing:

Argentines
Sleep firmly from twelve to one

I lived one year in Madrid: many Spanish really sleep after diner, for one hour and half, more or less. I don't know for Argentines. Actually, it might be an cultural asset, although they come back home later than in France.

Have a very nice day!

Céline

[neufer]

Humans are not the only ones to burn in the sun
By Jack Phillips Epoch Times Staff Last Updated: Nov 24, 2010

<<Whales apparently get sunburned like humans, according to a new report published this week, which also found that the burns are worsening over time.

Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) studied blue, fin, and sperm whales in the Gulf of California near Mexico to ascertain whether increasing ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is damaging the whales’ health. The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Scientists have noticed blisters on the whales’ skin for several years. The team used high-end photography to “give accurate counts” of the number of blisters and analyzed skin samples, finding that the whales suffer from skin damage “commonly associated with acute sunburn in humans,” the report said. “Whales need to come to the surface to breathe air, to socialize and to feed their young, meaning that they are frequently exposed to the full force of the sun,” researcher Laura Martinez–Levasseur, from ZSL and Queen Mary University of London, said in a statement. “The increase in skin damage seen in blue whales is a matter of concern, but at this stage it is not clear what is causing this increase. A likely candidate is rising UVR as a result of either ozone depletion, or a change in the level of cloud cover.” Those whale species that spend “more time in the sun” are more likely to get blisters and skin damage, stated researcher Prof. Edel O'Toole from Queen Mary. “We predict that whales will experience more severe sun damage if ultraviolet radiation continues to increase,” she added.

Scientists will next evaluate the gene expression involved in skin pigmentation, as well as DNA damage repair, to understand whale sunburns better. “We have shown that exposure to strong sun is damaging to whales’ skin. We now need to understand the knock-on effects and whether whales are able to respond quickly to increasing radiation by enhancing their natural sun-protection mechanisms,” said researcher Dr. Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse of ZSL in a statement. >>

Thin ozone layer may be giving whales sunburn
KIRAN CHUG - The Dominion Post Last updated 07:59 12/11/2010

<<Whales basking in the sunshine while coming up for air could be getting sunburnt. International research indicates that the depleted ozone layer is harming whales as well as humans and lighter- skinned whale species are suffering most from the effects of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The scientists behind the research, who spent three years studying whales in the Gulf of California, said the sunburn – evident in lesions on the whales' skin – could be a result of the ozone layer's decreased ability to block UV rays.

One of New Zealand's leading whale researchers, Auckland University scientist Rochelle Constantine, said the research could explain markings on Bryde's whales in the Hauraki Gulf. "They are there year-round and they're lightish grey. They would be more vulnerable to these kinds of lesions." The Bryde's whales could be vulnerable to sunburn because they spend the year in New Zealand waters and under a thin ozone layer. Dr Constantine had seen the lesions the researchers attributed to sunburn on humpback whales – also quite light in colour – in Tongan waters. Until now, researchers had been unable to explain what they had seen.

The humpbacks spent their summer months in Antarctica, and Dr Constantine said the ozone layer there was also very thin. "The humpbacks we're getting in our waters could be getting a double dose. In the summer it's light 24 hours a day." Although there was nothing researchers would be able to do to protect whales from sunburn, Dr Constantine said she hoped it would make people mindful that human activities could have wide implications.

DOC marine ecologist Nadine Bott agreed. "It highlights the impact of the ozone layer and that the way we live affects quite significant processes, and has a much wider eco-system effect." Sperm whales could be at a high risk of sunburn because they spent a great deal of their time at the water's surface, but Mrs Bott said they were protected by their incredibly thick skin. The layer has been thinning because of the influence of CFCs, and while their emissions have now largely been controlled, there is debate over the extent of the ozone's recovery.>>

The modest 2010 Antarctic Ozone Hole has remained remarkably persistent into the high sun 24 hour days of December.
This has resulted in tropical levels of daily surface UV-B radiation levels all over Antarctica!

Influenced by depleted ozone within the Ozone Hole, surface UV-B radiation amounts can reach levels found only in the tropics. This map shows the estimated daily dosage of erythemally weighted UV radiation. This estimate is based upon the first 24 1-hour NOAA/EPA UV Index forecasts. The UV Index forecast values are assumed constant over the hour of each of the 24 1-hour forecasts. The daily dosage is then the sum of all 24 1-hour forecasts. The UV Index forecast is quite accurate for the first 24 hours. The UV Index forecast takes under consideration the total column ozone amount, the sun-earth orientation, the surface elevation, the enhancement effects of snow and ice, aerosol scattering (using a seasonal global climatology), and cloud UV transmission.

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[b][color=#FF0000]Ozone hole remains strong approaching Summer Solstice![/color][/b]

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SBUV/2 Ozone Hole Yesterday

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Whales Suffering From Sunburn
By Jennifer Viegas Tue Nov 9, 2010 06:59 PM ET

Whales are continuously exposed to the sun and are now suffering skin damage as ultraviolet radiation increases.

* Skin biopsies have determined that many whales are now suffering from severe sunburns.
* Scientists believe the sunburns are due to increasing levels of ultraviolet radiation resulting from the thinning ozone layer.
* Dark-skinned whales appear to have less damage, but they too are getting sunburned.

<<Painful sunburns are usually associated with people, but many whales are now acutely sunburned, with cases escalating in recent years, according to new research. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is the first to demonstrate that sun damage to whale skin is on the rise and is likely tied to increasing levels of ultraviolet radiation resulting from the thinning ozone layer.

"The thing is, whales do not have hair, fur or feathers that could offer some protection, and they are forced to surface in order to breathe," co-author Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse told Discovery News. "Other animals have behavioral adaptations -- hiding in the shade, for example -- but whales cannot afford to do so," added Acevedo-Whitehouse, a postdoctoral fellow at the Zoological Society of London. She and her colleagues looked at the problem in a collaboration involving the society's Institute of Zoology, Queen Mary University of London, and the National Polytechnic Institute Marine Science Center in Mexico.

The scientists conducted photo surveys and performed skin biopsies on blue, fin and sperm whales from the Gulf of California. This is a region situated near tropical latitudes "where skin cancer radiation dosages are five times higher than in mid-latitude zones," according to the authors. The skin samples were collected from 2007 to 2009 with a stainless steel dart. Nearly all of the skin samples contained "sunburn cells," abnormal cells associated with ultraviolet-induced DNA damage. These indicators were even found in the lowest layer of skin on the whales, suggesting that those individuals were suffering from very severe sunburns. The researchers believe that the sunburns will worsen over time, due to increased ultraviolet radiation exposure. They tested this hypothesis out on blue whales, a species for which they had data spanning three years. While bite marks and other skin problems remained unchanged over this period, the prevalence of sunburn blisters significantly rose over time.

The scientists also found that darker whales, in this case sperm and fin whales, tended to not get sunburned as much as lighter blue whales. Darker pigmentation, as for humans, may therefore offer some protection. Sperm whales, however, spend considerably more time at the sea surface, so they too are becoming sunburned. Acevedo-Whitehouse said that, in addition to pigmentation, "whales may invest heavily in programmed cell death to counteract DNA damage caused by the sun." Given the large number of documented whale sunburns, this natural defense appears to be no match for the increased levels of ultraviolet radiation.

Scientists have only become aware of related problems over the past few decades, since this year marks the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer. "Perhaps the most startling lesson from the ozone hole is just how quickly our planet can change," said Jonathan Shanklin, a British Antarctic Survey researcher who has studied the ozone hole and its probable causes, industrial solvents and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

Although it's hoped that phasing out of these compounds will allow Antarctic ozone levels to return to 1950's levels by the year 2080, that doesn't provide much hope for whales over the next several years. "I do not believe we would be able to do very much to reduce the damage to whales caused by sun exposure," Acevedo-Whitehouse said. "However, efforts to mitigate other stressors, such as by reducing contaminants and noise pollution, could be tried and thus aim to reduce their environmental stress levels.">>

[Céline Richard]

Poor whales
It might be very difficult to cure a whale, they are so huge!

Céline

[neufer]

It might be very difficult to cure a whale, they are so huge!

<<Curing refers to various food preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish. Food curing dates back to ancient times, both in the form of smoked meat and as salt-cured meat. Although the ancient people curing the meat did not know this, it was actually nitrates present in the salt that helped the curing process. The Native Americans used to hang their meat at the top of their teepees to increase the amount of smoke coming into contact with the food. Although more frequently used for flavor than preservation, smoke is an antimicrobial and antioxidant. Some of the smoke molecules (primarily phenols) adhere to the outer surfaces of food, inhibiting bacterial growth and oxidation, while the others (primarily carbonyls) provide the characteristic colour. Both provide the flavor. Smoke particles (primarily carbon or soot) are undesirable and avoided by controlling the temperature and humidity in the smoking environment.

NaCl is the primary ingredient used in meat curing. Salt works by dehydrating the meat, thus preventing the growth of bacteria, and it creates an inhospitable osmotic pressure through the cell wall of the bacterium. This triggers the beneficial bacteria, including lactobacillus acidophilus, to grow in the new environment and lower the pH to ~4.5. In addition, salt causes the soluble meat proteins to come to the surface of the meat cut and then solidify, which is what gives sausage its characteristic skin. Finally, salt slows the oxidaiton process, effectively preventing the meat from going rancid. The sugar added to meat for the purpose of curing it comes in many forms, including honey, corn syrup solids, and maple syrup. However, with the exception of bacon, it does not contribute much to the flavor, but it does alleviate the harsh flavor of the salt. Sugar also contributes to the growth of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus by feeding them.

Nytrosyl-heme

Nitrates and nitrites not only help kill bacteria, but also produce a characteristic flavor and give meat a pink or red color. Nitrate (NO₃⁻), generally supplied by sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate, is used as a source for nitrite (NO₂⁻). The nitrite further breaks down in the meat into nitric oxide (NO), which then binds to the iron atom in the center of myoglobin's heme group, reducing oxidation and causing a reddish-brown color (nitrosomyoglobin) when raw, and the characteristic cooked-ham pink color (nytrosyl-heme) when cooked. The addition of ascorbate to cured meat reduces formation of nitrosamines, but increases the nitrosylation of iron. The use of nitrates in food preservation is controversial, though, due to the potential for the formation of nitrosamines when the preserved food is cooked at high temperature. The usage of either compound is therefore carefully regulated; for example, in the United States, the concentration of nitrates and nitrites is generally limited to 200 ppm or lower. However, they are considered irreplaceable in the prevention of botulinum poisoning from consumption of cured dry sausages by preventing spore germination. A 2007 study suggests a link between eating cured meats and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nitrites were posited as a possible cause.>>

[Beyond]

Well....It looks like having a 'whale-of-a-good-time' has lost it's luster

[Céline Richard]

NaCl is the primary ingredient used in meat curing. Salt works by dehydrating the meat, thus preventing the growth of bacteria, and it creates an inhospitable osmotic pressure through the cell wall of the bacterium. (...) In addition, salt causes the soluble meat proteins to come to the surface of the meat cut and then solidify, which is what gives sausage its characteristic skin. Finally, salt slows the oxidaiton process, effectively preventing the meat from going rancid.(...) Nitrates and nitrites not only help kill bacteria, but also produce a characteristic flavor and give meat a pink or red color.

I was talking about whales, as some sort of pets, not as meat
So if i understand well, the fact whales live inside salted water (the ocean) is likely to cure them from bad UV.
Thank you Neufer

Céline