Scientists from China, Germany and the USA have discovered an unexpected connection between massive forest fires and the composition of the ozone layer. The new study aims to restore the fragile balance of the atmosphere of our planet.
“Huge, smoky vortex” in the atmosphere
Using satellite data and numerical modeling, the team discovered how wildfires, such as the catastrophic bushfires in Australia in 2019 and 2020, affect the atmosphere in previously unknown ways. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that a kind of giant, smoke-filled vortex has almost doubled aerosol pollution. The southern hemisphere is particularly affected.
This also led to a significant change in the depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. However, the ozone layer is an important protective shield that protects life on earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. More than 35 years ago, scientists were able to prove for the first time that there was a huge hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica.
But in recent decades, the ozone layer has shown clear signs of recovery. This is also due to an international treaty signed in 1987, which led to the gradual phasing out of the production of numerous substances responsible for ozone depletion. “The stability of this vital atmospheric layer is now facing a new and unexpected challenge,” says an official press release from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.
Vortex brings smoke to the atmosphere
During the devastating Australian forest fires, “researchers observed a dramatic increase in stratospheric aerosols – tiny particles that can influence climate, health and atmospheric chemistry.” The reason for this is a completely new phenomenon: a smoke-charged vortex, which the scientists call a “smoke-charged vortex” (SCV).
“The SCV is a powerful, smoke-laden whirlpool that transports forest fire smoke into the middle stratosphere, reaching altitudes of up to 35 kilometers,” explains Professor Hang Su from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As soon as these aerosols reach such altitudes, they trigger a series of chemical reactions on their surface. These would also affect the ozone concentrations in the atmosphere.
Could destroy ozone layer
Professor Yafang Cheng from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and co-author of the study underlines the importance of these new findings: “Our study uncovers an unexpected and crucial mechanism by which absorbing aerosols in the smoke of wildfires, such as soot, can generate and maintain enormous, smoke-laden vortices over thousands of kilometers.” This fundamentally changes the stratospheric circulation.
She also warns that further research is needed in this regard, as the vortices can persist for months, carrying aerosols deep into the stratosphere and affecting the ozone layer in different ways. “This underlines the need for continued vigilance and research in the face of advancing climate change,” the researcher adds.
The new findings show that natural events exacerbated by climate change pose additional risks to this fragile atmospheric layer. “With the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires as a result of global warming, the formation of SCVs and their impact on the stratosphere could become more frequent and pose a threat to the ozone layer,” write the scientists from the Max Planck Institute.
