The European Space Agency is contributing to the world's biggest field campaign to measure ozone amounts and changes over the Arctic. The campaign, based above the Arctic Circle in the Kiruna area, Sweden, started last November and continues until the end of March. The Earth's ozone layer screens and protects us and other life forms from harmful ultraviolet radiation generated by the Sun. Scientists from all over the world have recognised that ozone depletion is caused mainly by man-made chlorine and bromine compounds.
Climate modelling suggests that global warming in the troposphere is cooling the upper atmosphere.
Polar winters may therefore be expected to become colder in coming decades. The next generation of European Earth observation satellites will carry on the quest for a better understanding of the possible connection between chemical ozone depletion and climate change. Both systems will ensure continuity of global monitoring of environmental change over the next two decades.