Speaker: Paul Newman, NASA GSFC, Maryland

Title: “The Spring Breakup of the Antarctic Ozone Hole”    

Abstract:  The Antarctic ozone hole is caused by human-produced ozone depleting substances (ODSs) such as chlorofluorocarbons and halons. First discovered in 1985 by Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner, and Jonathan Shanklin, the ozone hole has persisted through the decades because ODS lifetimes are very long (CFC-11 lifetime = 55 years). The ozone hole is a seasonal phenomenon. It begins to form in August, reaches its maximum severity in late-September, and typically breaks up in early December.  In this presentation, I will review some of the history of Antarctic ozone. More specifically, I will discuss how the ozone hole transitions from a large ozone depleted volume in late-September to a mix of depleted air across the southern hemisphere by January. I will then discuss ozone observations over the 2020-2023 period. These recent observations suggest other factors may be exacerbating Antarctic ozone depletion.

Bio: Dr. Paul A. Newman is the Chief Scientist for Earth Sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the Earth Sciences Division (Code 610), and a Senior Fellow for Goddard. Dr. Newman is also the co-chair of the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) to the Montreal Protocol. The SAP is charged with drafting reports on the state of ozone depletion every four years. The current report is "The Scientifc Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018." Dr. Newman is principally involved in the analysis of stratospheric meteorological and trace gas observations.

Dr. Newman is a Seattle native who graduated from O'Dea High School in 1974. He attended Seattle University and graduated in 1978 with a BS in Physics and a minor in mathematics. He completed his doctorate in physics at Iowa State University in 1984. From 1984 to 1986, Dr. Newman was a National Research Council fellow, worked for Applied Research Corporation from 1986 to 1989, and the Universities Space Research Associates from 1989 to 1990. He has been with NASA since 1990.

Dr. Newman's principal area of research is atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. He has participated in numerous aircraft field campaigns with his NASA, NOAA, and University colleagues, and actively researches dynamical and chemical processes