Ozone Hole Reaches Alarming Size Once More

Measurements from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite reveal that this year's ozone hole over Antarctica is one of the largest on record, reaching a size of 26 million sq km on September 16, 2023. The size of the ozone hole fluctuates due to the strength of a wind band around the Antarctic area, and this year's unusual ozone patterns may be associated with the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in January 2022. The Montreal Protocol, which phased out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, is expected to lead to the recovery of the ozone layer by around 2050.