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Researchers from MIT have found that the smoke from the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season caused damage to the ozone layer, delaying its recovery by approximately 10 years. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, establishes a chemical link between wildfire smoke and ozone depletion. The smoke triggered chemical reactions in the stratosphere, leading to a drop in nitrogen dioxide and subsequent ozone depletion. If wildfires become more frequent and intense due to climate change, the recovery of the ozone layer could be further delayed.
Monday, 28 February, 2022