4 ms·
So basically, chlorine compounds (hydrochloric acid) in the atmosphere from CFCs (old aerosols, fridges) turn back into chlorine thanks to the smoke particles,
by imdsm 4y ago
So basically, chlorine compounds (hydrochloric acid) in the atmosphere from CFCs (old aerosols, fridges) turn back into chlorine thanks to the smoke particles, which wouldn't otherwise happen, and the sun then causes the chlorine to break down in sunlight to chlorine ions which "eat the ozone".
So it's a race against time between the ozone recovering through the decay of these CFC-related harmless chemicals, and smoke from wildfires making the ozone larger and not recovering.
Not all wildfires send smoke high enough though.
Interesting read!
- gonzo41 4y agoTake home lesson, start wearing sun hoodies.
- londons_explore 4y agoHydrochloric acid is a rather common chemical, produced by humans in the tens of millions of tonnes. I believe it is also quite common in nature - for example, your stomach acid is mostly hydrochloric acid.
- Groxx 4y agoI'm not really sure what you're trying to imply here. E.g. I don't usually vomit into the upper atmosphere.
- brink 4y agoIt sounds like a reason to do more controlled burns.
- leoedin 4y agoThey don't seem to answer the question of why the chlorine in the atmosphere comes mainly from CFCs. What about all the chlorine we use every day from e.g. bleach and swimming pools? Does that not wreck the ozone layer because it never gets high enough into the atmosphere?
- Uehreka 4y agoI guess that would be nice background, but you can also find the answer in like 5 minutes on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon From the section on Regulation: > It turns out that one of CFCs' most attractive features—their low reactivity—is key to their most destructive effects. CFCs' lack of reactivity gives them a lifespan that can exceed 100 years, giving them time to diffuse into the upper stratosphere. Once in the stratosphere, the sun's ultraviolet radiation is strong enough to cause the homolytic cleavage of the C-Cl bond.
- chris_va 4y agoThey also eat methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, so it's not all bad
- hummus_bae 4y ago[dead]