According to European scientists, the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica was the smallest this year since 2019. Its duration was also the shortest. Experts called it a signal of a clear recovery of the ozone layer.
The maximum area of the hole reached 21 million square kilometers in September of this yearwhich is significantly less than the 26 million square kilometers in 2023. The hole subsequently shrank and closed earlier than usualit follows from the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) data.
“The earlier closure and relatively small size of the ozone hole this year is a reassuring sign. It reflects the gradual renewal of the layer year after year that we see thanks to the ban on ozone-depleting substances.” said Laurence Rouil, director of CAMS.
The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects life on Earth from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, the gases emitted by humans damaged it. After the gradual phase-out of ozone-destroying substances as part of the Montreal Protocol from 1987 and subsequent amendments, the layer began to gradually regenerate.
