Question

Formation of the ozone hole is maximum over
(a) India
(b) Antarctica
(c) Europe
(d) Africa

Answer 1

Hint: Polar stratospheric clouds(PSC) are formed in the polar regions when the temperature is extremely low (typically below - 83° C) and they are present in the stratosphere. These clouds are considered to be a major cause of the depletion of the ozone layer and they are mostly found in a place also known as the white continent.

Complete answer:
The ozone layer is a protective blanket present in the atmosphere around the surface of the earth which prevents the entry of harmful UV radiation from the sun.
The depletion of the ozone layer leads to the formation of the ozone hole which is maximum over Antarctica.
So, the correct answer is, ’Antarctica.’

Additional Information:
The formation of special types of clouds called Polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) in the stratosphere due to extremely low extreme temperatures leads to the destruction of the ozone layer. Their surface acts as the catalyst for the formation of active free radicals of chlorine which destroys the ozone causing a series of chain reactions leading to the formation of the ozone hole.
The formation of the cloud is more harmful; it removes the stratospheric gases like nitric acid which can combine with the free radical and lower the process of depletion.
Consequences of ozone layer depletion-
- UV radiations cause skin irritation, sunburns, and even skin cancer and cataracts.
- Increase in sea levels because of global warming.
- DNA damage in plants and animals causing mutations leading to melanoma and other conditions.

Note: The ozone hole is not a “hole” technically, where no ozone is present but is a region of exceptionally depleted ozone in the stratosphere over the Antarctic. Governments agreed in the 1980s to protect the ozone layer by phasing out ozone depleting substances emitted by human activities, under the Montreal Protocol.