The ozone hole is now larger than Antarctica

• The ozone hole is widening: in 2015 the fourth extension ever recorded

• Antarctica, Omm: the record-breaking ozone hole has closed

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September 16, 2021 The ozone hole this year has reached an extension greater than that of Antarctica, one of the largest and deepest in recent years. A figure recorded last week with a 75% increase compared to the measurements detected in this same period of the year starting from 1979.

This is shown by the observations of the Sentinel 5p satellite, one of the sentinels of the earth of the Copernicus program, managed by the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA). The data was collected as part of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams) of the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts.

The hole in the ozone layer forms every year during the austral spring, between August and October, and reaches its maximum between mid-September and mid-October. This year, after a rather normal initial condition, it has increased significantly. "Although similar to that of 2020, this year the ozone hole has turned into one of the longest ever recorded," observes Vincent-Henri Peuch, director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. For Antje Inness, of the European Center for Medium Range Meteorological Forecasts, "the monitoring of the ozone hole at the South Pole must be interpreted with caution, as size, duration and concentrations are influenced by local winds. However, we expect it to close. by 2050. With the end of the southern hemisphere spring season,as temperatures in the upper stratosphere begin to rise, ozone depletion slows, the polar vortex weakens and eventually breaks down, bringing ozone levels back to normal by December ”.