The ozone layer is one of the shells of the Earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of 15 to 30 kilometers. It blocks extremely harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun and is essential for sustaining life on Earth. In 1985, researchers discovered that large gaps had formed in the ozone layer over the planet’s polar regions due to the emission of chlorofluorocarbon. This is a chemical that was used in aerosol cans, packaging materials and refrigerators at the time. The international community has already banned CFV, which makes it possible to restore ozone levels over time. But there are a number of other factors that contribute to ozone destruction.

Almost a record

Ozone depletion continues to occur regularly during the winter months, when cold air forms polar stratospheric clouds (extremely high clouds composed of tiny ice crystals).

This year, the ozone hole over Antarctica reached its maximum size on September 16, according to the European Space Agency: 26 million square kilometers. This is roughly the area of ​​all of North America; It is three times the size of Brazil, Russia, and China combined, and roughly twice the size of Antarctica. But these are not the largest recorded sizes we have ever observed.

The 2023 ozone hole appeared early and grew rapidly from mid-August. This can be attributed to the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano, which created the highest eruption plume ever recorded. More than 50 million tons of water were thrown into the upper atmosphere. Water vapor can destabilize the ozone layer after splitting into ions (charged particles) that react with ozone, similar to CFV.