Arctic Vortex In Trouble

The high atmosphere over the Arctic lost an unprecedented amount of its protective ozone earlier this year, so much that conditions echoed the infamous ozone hole that forms annually over the opposite side of the planet, the Antarctic, scientists say.

"For the first time, sufficient loss occurred to reasonably be described as an Arctic ozone hole," write researchers in an article released online Sunday by the journal Nature. Some degree of ozone loss above the Arctic, and the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole, are annual events during the poles' respective winters. They are driven by a combination of cold temperatures and lingering ozone-depleting pollutants. The reactions that convert less reactive chemicals into ozone-destroying ones take place within what is known as the polar vortex, an atmospheric circulation pattern created by the rotation of Earth and by cold temperatures. This past winter and spring saw an unusually strong polar vortex and an unusually long cold period.

This year's record vortex persisted over the Arctic from December to the end of March, and the cold temperatures extended down to a remarkably low altitude, the researchers write. At altitudes of about 11 to 12 miles (18 to 20 kilometers), more than 80 percent of the ozone present in January had been chemically destroyed by late March. The same dynamics create the infamous ozone hole over Antarctica. But above the South Pole, ozone is essentially completely removed from the lower stratosphere ever year. Above the North Pole, however, ozone loss is highly variable and has, until now, been much more limited, according to an international research team led by Gloria Manney of the California Institute of Technology. Countries agreed to end their production of the substances ultimately responsible for destruction of the ozone in 1987 with the Montreal Protocol. However, these pollutants, including chlorofluorocarbons, still linger in the atmosphere.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Researchers Report Finds Shocking, Unprecedented And Massive Ozone Loss in the Arctic Atmosphere?! http://thealienproject.blogspot.com/2011/10/monumental-earth-changes-research...

NASA's Cryosphere Program Manager, Tom Wagner, shared his perspectives on the ice with television audiences across the country.

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Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss in 2011A NASA-led study found that Earth's protective ozone layer above the Arctic thinned to the lowest levels ever observed in early 2011.


The first significant ozone hole above the Antarctic is now as big as North America, scientists have claimed. Trade between India and Dubai is expanding at an unprecedented pace, and as one of the largest marine terminal operators in the region, DP World is a major facilitator and contributor to this growth.

Guests: Whitley Strieber
Climate Change:

On Monday's show, author and novelist Whitley Strieber discussed disruptive climate and solar patterns. The Arctic summer has been very intense, and we lost more ice in the summer of 2011 than we ever have in history, he reported. The way climate change occurs on Earth is that there are disruptions over a period of time in a "slowly escalating kind of vortex, and suddenly there's a snap back to a completely different climate," he said, adding that he believes we could be near a snap back period now.

Normally a low pressure area settles in over the Arctic in the winter and this pushes moist, cold air into the central part of the continent. However, this time the polar vortex was a high pressure system, which led to bizarre colliding storms, and mountains of snow, he detailed. Citing the book The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes, Strieber talked about the possibility that debris from a supernova came toward Earth around 13,000 years ago and caused massive flooding. He also noted that the sun is going into a less active phase 10 years from now, and this may help reduce dramatic climate change.

BRITAIN faces a sudden shivering end to the exceptionally warm late autumn with temperatures plunging towards Siberian levels. Winter weather will arrive with a vengeance with temperatures well below zero within the next fortnight.

Experts then predict a bitterly cold December with thermometers falling at least as low as -15C (5F).

Snow could hit the country even earlier than last year when a big freeze at the end of November sent temperatures to -20C (-4F), crippling transport. And some forecasters fear that temperatures could plunge as low or even lower this winter.

“The current mild weather is caused by a high-pressure block to our east, keeping us under a south-westerly flow of Atlantic air. But it looks as though high pressure could move further north west, allowing much colder air to filter across the UK from the north or east, with the risk of snow increasing.”

Severe weather this year could be just as bad as last year.
Previously local areas were left to decide how to react to cold snaps.

The alert system is part of the Government’s Cold Weather Plan which also contains advice to individuals and carers, such as making sure at-risk groups get vaccinated against flu and keep homes heated adequately.

A minimum of 70F is being recommended during the day and 61F at night. Below that, the risk of heart problems, strokes and respiratory illness increases. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the cold and we need to be aware – within families, in communities and across the NHS – of how we can help others.

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Read article at this link http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/08/super-storms/hayden-text/2