Animation of the Arctic Polar Vortex
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“During winter, stratospheric winds (uppermost atmosphere) tend to form a vortex around the North Pole. These polar clouds lead to chemical reactions that affect the chemical form of chlorine in the stratosphere. In certain chemical forms, chlorine can deplete the ozone layer” (NASA, 2013). The polar vortices are located in the middle and upper troposphere and stratosphere separated by the tropopause at an average altitude of 9 km in polar regions.