Animals burn in Antarctica – Exposed to the ozone hole

It is known that the Earth’s ozone layer provides a protective barrier against the sun’s harmful rays.

The well-known hole in the ozone layer that exists over Antarctica for a few months of the year allows ultraviolet radiation to pass unfiltered into the atmosphere, a condition particularly harmful to health since UV light is carcinogenic.

Now, researchers are “sounding new alarm bells” after finding that the hole has persisted for several weeks longer than it did four years ago.

This means that Antarctic wildlife, seals and penguins, are at greater risk of sunburn, while other plants and animals are also affected.

In particular, animals can develop cancer from UV radiation, just like humans, although fur and feathers offer some more protection.

The new study was led by Sharon Robinson, a climate change biologist and Antarctic researcher at the University of Wollongong in Australia.

The researchers referred to NASA data retrieved from satellite instruments that monitor the ozone layer and compiled evidence of the effect of UV radiation on various species.

“If the ozone holes are left open for longer, animals that breed in the summer around the vast Antarctic coastline will be exposed to high levels of reflected UV radiation,” Robinson and her colleagues say.

“More UV radiation can get through, which will be reflected back into the atmosphere with particular ease, aided by the snow and ice surface.

The ozone hole does not stay the same size throughout the year – in fact, it opens and closes each year as the seasons and temperatures change.

Typically, the ozone hole opens around August and reaches its largest diameter around October before closing again in late November.

Fortunately, it is a time when most Antarctic animals and plants are protected by snow and sea ice.