Attività del Dipartimento

The Polar Stratosphere: from the Ozone Depletion to Climate Change

Muscari Giovanni

During winter and spring, cold temperatures and scarse insolation cause the occurrence of unique physical and chemical phenomena in the polar stratosphere. In the past 30 years, the ozone depletion has been the most observed and studied outcome of these phenomena. However, due to the complexity of the processes that can lead to depletion, the long lifetime of CFCs, the potential impact of a changing climate, and the difficulties in observing the polar stratosphere, there is still work to do before the so called “ozone hole” can be considered history. In recent years, as the spotlight moved from ozone to climate change, the winter polar stratosphere always proved to be a place where to look for answers. And yet, very few ground stations are equipped with instruments capable of sounding the stratosphere and a large gap in satellite coverage of most polar stratospheric parameters is expected in the near future. This presentation will outline the physics and chemistry behind the ozone depletion, will give an update on its recovery, and will show how the polar stratosphere never ceases to entertain the scientific community.