Earth’s smallest ozone hole in 5 years closed this month

Antarctica: Great news! The ozone hole that usually forms over Antarctica has closed up this month. Scientists say it was the smallest we’ve seen in five years. How cool is that?

This year’s hole reached about 22 million square kilometers at its biggest, which is actually pretty normal compared to what we’ve seen in the past. It started forming back in July and hit its peak size in late September before finally closing up.

Experts from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service shared that this year’s hole was way smaller than last year’s, which was massive—over 25 million square kilometers! That one was more than two and a half times the size of Canada!

So, what caused the big holes in previous years? Well, the volcanic eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in January 2022 likely played a part in the ozone depletion we saw in 2022 and 2023.

Now, just to clarify, when we talk about an “ozone hole,” we don’t mean a complete absence of ozone. It’s more like a region where there’s way less ozone than usual. This happens mainly during the colder months in the southern hemisphere.

Ozone is super important because it helps block harmful UV rays from reaching us. While too much ozone can be bad for our health, having it up high in the atmosphere is crucial for protecting life on Earth.

Thanks to global efforts like the Montreal Protocol, which started back in 1987, we’re seeing some recovery in the ozone layer. Experts think we could see a full recovery by the 2060s, which is pretty hopeful!

Even with these positive changes, the ozone levels over Antarctica still hit some pretty low points every year. But hey, every little bit helps, right?