China Releases First Ozone Exploration BalloonChinese scientists Monday sent up the country's first ozone exploration balloon on the northern slope of Mount Qomolangma, better known in the West as Mt. Everest, to detect the ozone density around the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in summer.When the grey balloon reached an altitude of 20-30 km above the ground surface, a sensor attached to the balloon began to transmit scientific data, which will aid the study of ozone distribution in the atmosphere of the plateau. The ozone content in the region is about 10 percent less than in surrounding areas. According to scientific surveys, a drop in ozone density occurs at the plateau between June and September every year. China launched a long-term observation project recently to study the cause of the ozone hollow and its effect on the environment. |
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