Weather Whys; Cloud Study

This is weather-wise. For many years, clouds were essentially seen as pitchers which held rain. Few people gave much thought to the processes inside the clouds themselves. But since the 1950s, many things have been changing in the study of atmospheric phenomena. Many scientists now look at each individual cloud droplet and ice particle as a tiny solution of chemicals. So those droplets and particles can interact with others in very complex ways. Since the 1980s, one of the most talked about topics in atmospheric science has been the so-called hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. It's really an area where the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere appears to be much lower than it should be. That hole was discovered in the mid-1980s and is suspected of having been at least partially caused by chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. CFCs are used in refrigeration and in automotive air conditioners, in aerosol cans and in the

manufacturer's styrofoam. One important area of research is exactly how the CFCs may contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer. The topic is important because the ozone layer protects living creatures on Earth from much of the harmful ultraviolet radiation that comes from the sun. In fact, scientists fear that reduction of ozone concentrations in that layer could lead to more cases of skin cancer. And many of those scientists have spoken out, alerting the public to what they believe is a serious environmental problem. We'd like to know what you think of WeatherWise, please write us at WeatherWise KGOU Radio, the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019-0250. WeatherWise is made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. For WeatherWise, I'm Drew Barlow.