Ozone hole over Antarctica soars to one of its largest sizes on record, Hunga Tonga eruption possible cause

Ozone hole over Antarctica soars to one of its largest sizes on record, Hunga Tonga eruption possible cause

On September 16, 2023, a significantly large ozone hole stretched over Antarctica, covering an area of 26 million km3 (10.04 million mi3), prompting a deeper look into the possible causes. The fluctuating size of the ozone hole is a yearly phenomenon, with a notable increase from August to October, and a decrease as temperatures in the southern hemisphere’s stratosphere rise towards the year’s end.

Deep and larger-than-average Antarctic ozone hole 2021

Deep and larger-than-average Antarctic ozone hole 2021

This year's ozone hole over the southern hemisphere is again deep and larger-than-average due to the colder than usual winter atmosphere over the region. It reached its maximum area on October 7 and ranked as the 13th largest since 1979, according to NASA and…

2020 Antarctic ozone hole one of the largest and deepest in recent years

2020 Antarctic ozone hole one of the largest and deepest in recent years

The 2020 ozone hole over the Antarctic is one of the largest and deepest in recent years, according to scientists with the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The hole had grown to 23 million square km (8.8 million square miles)– over twice the size of the…

Calbuco’s eruption expanded ozone hole to record size

Calbuco’s eruption expanded ozone hole to record size

A new study argues that eruption of the Chilean volcano Calbuco on April 22, 2015 stretched the Antarctic Ozone Hole, the thinnest portion of the ozone shell that shields Earth from harmful radiation, to a record size nearly as large as Africa. It did so by ejecting…

Antarctic ozone hole shows signs of healing

Antarctic ozone hole shows signs of healing

An international team of scientists has observed first clear signs that the hole in the Antarctic ozone layer is beginning to close. Led by Professor Susan Solomon of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the team found that the September ozone hole had shrunk…