Urban Tech Story | Antarctic ozone hole continues to shrink

NASA and NOAA report (www.nasa.gov/esnt/2022/ozone-hole-continues-shrinking-in-2022-nasa-and-noaa-scientists-say) that the size of the ozone hole over Antarctica this year is slightly smaller than last year. The average size of the Antarctic ozone hole from September 7 to October 13 was 23.2 million square kilometers, a “slight decrease” compared to last year. Overall, the void area has been shrinking in recent years. In the 1980s, scientists discovered an ozone hole over Antarctica, associated with the extensive use of refrigerants, blowing agents, propellants and other chemicals containing ozone-depleting substances. Many countries subsequently signed the “Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer” to limit the production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals. As of September this year, more than 99% of ozone-depleting substances have been phased out globally. NASA and NOAA predict that the Antarctic ozone hole will recover around 2070.