polar stratospheric cloud

[ poh-ler strat-uh-sfer-ik kloud, ‐-sfeer‐ ]

noun

, Meteorology.

1. an iridescent cloud in the winter polar stratosphere, as high as 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) above the earth: in both the Antarctic and the Arctic, these clouds contribute to ozone depletion by converting benign forms of chlorine into ozone-destroying forms and by eliminating the nitrogen compounds that curb the destructive effects of chlorine. : PSC

Word History and Origins

Origin of polar stratospheric cloud¹

First recorded in 1980–85