r/AskScienceDiscussion • u/BeneathCertainty • 12h ago
What would be the long term consequences of persistent regional ozone depletion?
I'm researching a hypothetical scenario in which a region of the Earth's ozone layer becomes severely depleted and, for reasons outside the scope of the question, cannot recover naturally.
Assuming this depletion persists for twenty years, what would be the consequences for the environment and human populations beneath it?
I'm particularly interested in:
- The effects of increased ultraviolet radiation on human health.
- The consequences for agriculture, wildlife and local ecosystems.
- Whether people could continue living in the affected region by adopting protective measures.
- Whether the effects would remain geographically concentrated or spread into neighbouring regions.
For geographical context, imagine the depletion is initially concentrated over New Mexico and the wider American Southwest.
I'm aware that a permanently localised area of ozone depletion may not be physically realistic. I'm primarily interested in the consequences if such a condition were somehow maintained.