Ozone layer breakdown of ozone in the stratosphere results in reduced absorption of ultraviolet radiation. Consequently, unabsorbed and dangerous ultraviolet radiation is able to reach the Earth’s surface at a higher intensity. Ozone levels have dropped by a worldwide average of about 4 percent since the late 1970s. For approximately 5 percent of the Earth's surface, around the north and south poles, much larger seasonal declines have been seen, and are described as "ozone holes". The discovery of the annual depletion of ozone above the Antarctic was first announced by Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin, in a paper which appeared
Surface layer in water between surface and deep ocean observations – this is known as the “threshold method”. However, this diurnal cycle does not have the same effect in midlatitudes as it does at tropical latitudes. Tropical regions are less likely than midlatitude regions to have a mixed layer dependent on diurnal temperature changes. One study explored diurnal variability of the mixed layer depth in the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean. Results suggested no appreciable change in the mixed layer depth with the time of day. The significant precipitation in this tropical area would lead to further stratification of the mixed layer. Another