NASA Says The Infamous Ozone Hole Continues Shrinking in 2022

Photo Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

The ozone layer plays a crucial role in harnessing life on Earth. The annual Antarctic ozone hole reached an average area of 23.2 million square kilometers between September 7 and October 13, 2022. Now, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have shared new insights on the ozone layer hole that forms over Antarctica every year.

The marquee space agency has been observing the infamous hole in the ozone layer for decades. "This depleted area of the ozone layer over the South Pole was slightly smaller than last year and generally continued the overall shrinking trend of recent years," said NASA.

What Causes This Ozone Layer Hole?

The hole is the result of human-made chemicals such as aerosols. Concerned authorities across the globe joined forces in the 1980s and signed an agreement called the Montreal Protocol with an aim to curb the use of ozone-damaging substances.

The hole differs in size every year. "We see some wavering as weather changes and other factors make the numbers wiggle slightly from day to day and week to week. But overall, we see it decreasing through the past two decades," said Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The hole that appeared in 2021 raised a lot of concern, as it reached a size larger than Antarctica. The 2021 hole was among the deepest and largest ones in recent times, but it did not affect the ongoing trend of a shrinking hole. Paul Newman said the Montreal Protocol seems to be showing results.

NASA And NOAA Joining Forces

NASA and NOAA work in tandem and use data gathered from different satellites in order to keep track of the seasonal hole in the ozone layer. On October 5, the hole hit its maximum and reached 26.4 million square kilometers.

Healing the ozone layers can take decades since several chemicals that degrade it can linger around for a long time. Back in 2018, NASA released a study that shows the first proof that banning chemicals could help in healing the layer that lets life thrive on Earth.

According to NOAA, we will see the last of the ozone hole around 2070. "It's great to see this progress," said NOAA senior scientist Stephen Montzka. "At the same time, it's a bit humbling to realize that science is still a long way from being able to claim that the issue of ozone depletion is behind us."