Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/13/2007 - 15:15
Forums
South Pole Ozone Changes

Hi Ms. Bergholz! How are you? How is the research going on the Antarctic? Have you found any significant changes in the ozone layer thus far? 

I was reading your journal posted on December 7th and its interesting to note that higher altitudes lower the concentration of blood in the body equivalent to that of a person who has been smoking for 40 years. Even though, as you stated, this causes physiological changes, what specifically in the body triggers the extra production of oxygen to compensate for the loss? What factors (environmental, biological) contribute to the extra production of oxygen?  

Lastly, I noticed that you have been using different colored balloons for data collection. What are the function of the different colored balloons and how do they complement one another?

Wed, 01/02/2008 - 09:02

Elke Bergholz

Hi and thank you for your questions; 1. Our research in Anarctica and observed changes compared to 1999:
We found similar results comapred to 9 years ago.. I think we still ahve to wait a few more years to see the effetcs of the Montreal prorocol!! However, we se a decline of the CFC's . So that is good news!!
2.What specifically in the body triggers the extra production of oxygen to compensate for theloss? What factors (environmental, biological) contribute to the extraproduction of oxygen?
This is a good question. When one has to be at higher altidues, the amount of oxygen in the air becomes less. That makes one breath harder. The brain signals the diaphragm and the muscels in between our ribs to contract  fatster, so we can get more oxygen to our brain and to the rest of the body!! It is not the extra production of oxygen that is triggered. We can not produce more oxygen in our body. However, at high altitude the oxygen is low in the atmosphere which triggers the production of more blood cells. So, it is the brain that triggers the production of more blood cells so the right amount of oxygen in the blood is transported to the brain and the cells. That is why you need a few days adjustment time so you can form these blood ceels without putting any stress on your already stressed body. Several peolpe had to be brought back to McMurdo before I came because they fell ill with altitude illness in a very bad way: the  brain swelled and the lungs filled with water. These polepe did not take the warning seriously, and went straight to the gym after arrival.. that is a bad idea because the body is compensating so much with altitude changes and one needs to respect that. These peolpe had to be medically evacuated on the next possible plain and braught back to lower altitude very quickly.  3.What are the function of the different colored balloons and how do they complement one another?
Using different colors of balloons we know which one to take when: Pink for surface ozone, and we do not fill the ballonn with so much helium and it flyes only up to 700 to 800 meters , then it gets cut off . Light yellow, brown: straospheric ozone: we need to fill it with more ozone, it is bigger so and it would not burst when we do that. It can fly up to 35 km wher it will be 100 times larger and finally burst, coming down with a parachute. On the way down it collects data as well.  Cheers, Elke Bergholz!