Hello Manny,

Scientists have studied ozone depletion over both the north and south poles and have compared the ozone loss in both hemispheres. However, ozone depletion is much more serious over the south pole, so you probably have seen a lot more about it on TV and the Internet. Ozone depletion is much more serious over the south pole than the north pole because of the unique weather patterns over the south pole. Large-scale weather systems disturb the wind flow in the Arctic (the north pole) and prevent the temperature in the stratosphere from being as cold, so conditions are not as favorable for ozone depletion. However, in the the Antarctic (the south pole) the long, cold, dark winters allow the formation of polar stratospheric clouds, which create an ideal environment for ozone destruction. The returning sunlight in spring and summer provides energy to start complex chemical reactions that cause the ozone hole above Antarctica. The ozone hole over Antarctica is seasonal and typically lasts from mid-August to late November.

Kris