<p>This is, as David Hammen points out, incorrect. However, it's not <em>completely</em> nonsense, either, in that the theoretical studies that led to the 1970s prediction of CFCs damaging the ozone layer -- prior to the observational discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole -- did involve some inspiration from theoretical studies of possible chemical reactions in the atmosphere of Venus, as described <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-venus-has-taught-us-about-protecting-the-ozone-layer-9200" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>O₃ chemistry was not a primary focus for this early work on Venus as there were no observations at the time of O₃ on Venus. However, the potential for catalytic conversion of odd oxygen (O and O₃) to O₂ by chlorine gases was noted before its importance for the Earth’s stratosphere was fully recognised.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-14T10:44:04.807Z
2021-10-14T10:44:04.807Z
Peter Erwin
<blockquote>
<p>People who were studying the atmosphere of Venus were actually the ones that discovered the ozone hole on the Earth.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I call BS. Being <a href="https://space.stackexchange.com/a/49535/2752">slightly familiar with the discovery of the ozone hole</a>, I have read about the people who did discover the ozone hole. They were British geophysicists. I cannot find a single article by JC Farman, BG Gardiner, or JD Shanklin on the atmosphere of Venus.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-14T05:56:45.087Z
2021-10-14T05:56:45.087Z
David Hammen
<p>After <code>21:00</code> in <em>Venus: Earth’s Evil Twin or Just Misunderstood? (live public talk)</em> from the JPL YouTube channel the person being interviewed &quot;<a href="https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Smrekar/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sue Smrekar</a>, Rocky Planet Geoscientist&quot; (and Deputy Principal Investigator, Mars InSight lander) says that there is a link between the observation of Venus and the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer. Is there more information on this link? Which Venus researchers noticed the hole in the ozone layer? What comparisons were they trying to make when they noticed this?</p>
<p>I wasn't sure if I should post this question here because of the observation of Venus or if I should post it in Earth Science SE.</p>
<hr />
<p>Key sentences starting at around <code>21:10</code>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have learned a lot of different things about volcanic processes. For example, you want to know what's coming out in those volcanic gasses. <strong>People who were studying the atmosphere of Venus were actually the ones that discovered the ozone hole on the Earth</strong>, because they were looking for similar kinds of chemical processes in the Earth.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LzuV7TgYlmk?start=1270"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>

<observational-astronomy><earth><planetary-atmosphere><venus>
Which Venus scientists discovered the hole in the ozone layer?
usernumber
# Which Venus scientists discovered the hole in the ozone layer?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-13)

After `21:00` in *Venus: Earth’s Evil Twin or Just Misunderstood? (live public talk)* from the JPL YouTube channel the person being interviewed "[Sue Smrekar](https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Smrekar/), Rocky Planet Geoscientist" (and Deputy Principal Investigator, Mars InSight lander) says that there is a link between the observation of Venus and the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer. Is there more information on this link? Which Venus researchers noticed the hole in the ozone layer? What comparisons were they trying to make when they noticed this?

I wasn't sure if I should post this question here because of the observation of Venus or if I should post it in Earth Science SE.

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Key sentences starting at around `21:10`:

> We have learned a lot of different things about volcanic processes. For example, you want to know what's coming out in those volcanic gasses. **People who were studying the atmosphere of Venus were actually the ones that discovered the ozone hole on the Earth**, because they were looking for similar kinds of chemical processes in the Earth.

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, earth, planetary-atmosphere, venus

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-14. Score: 3

This is, as David Hammen points out, incorrect. However, it's not *completely* nonsense, either, in that the theoretical studies that led to the 1970s prediction of CFCs damaging the ozone layer -- prior to the observational discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole -- did involve some inspiration from theoretical studies of possible chemical reactions in the atmosphere of Venus, as described [here](https://theconversation.com/what-venus-has-taught-us-about-protecting-the-ozone-layer-9200)

> O₃ chemistry was not a primary focus for this early work on Venus as there were no observations at the time of O₃ on Venus. However, the potential for catalytic conversion of odd oxygen (O and O₃) to O₂ by chlorine gases was noted before its importance for the Earth’s stratosphere was fully recognised.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-10-14. Score: 2

> People who were studying the atmosphere of Venus were actually the ones that discovered the ozone hole on the Earth.

I call BS. Being [slightly familiar with the discovery of the ozone hole](https://space.stackexchange.com/a/49535/2752), I have read about the people who did discover the ozone hole. They were British geophysicists. I cannot find a single article by JC Farman, BG Gardiner, or JD Shanklin on the atmosphere of Venus.


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