polar stratospheric cloud

American  

[poh-ler strat-uh-sfer-ik kloud, ‐-sfeer‐] / ˈpoʊ lər ˌstræt əˈsfɛr ɪk ˈklaʊd, ‐ˈsfɪər‐ /

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

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Etymology

Origin of polar stratospheric cloud

First recorded in 1980–85