New Explanation to Ozone Hole over Tibetan Plateau ˇˇˇˇProfessor Zhou Han from the Aerophysics Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences has recently put forward a new theory on the appearance of an ozone hole over Tibetan Plateau. He said that ozone shortage over the plateau lies in a large-measure terrain (vast expanse of mountains and a high elevation of the land). The new theory provides a new clue in understanding the mechanism of global ozone shortage that land topography such as farmlands, vegetative cover and the degree of urbanization may influence the heating capacity of the earth's surface to the atmosphere, hence a local shortage of ozone. In other words, environmental damage by human activities is one of the key factors in bringing about a serious shortage of ozone. HomeNews 1999-02-11 Page5 Full Story in Chinese