The area of ozone depletion over the South Pole reached 27.1 million square kilometers on September 18 — the largest in ten years, according to infohub.kz. The data comes from a joint report by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
That figure is nearly three times the size of the United States and about 90% of the historical maximum recorded in 2000. Scientists attribute the sharp expansion of the ozone hole to rare weather anomalies.
A key factor was a strong polar vortex — a giant low-pressure cold-air stream that spins clockwise over Antarctica and traps frigid air masses. In August and September, atmospheric waves that usually break up this vortex were unusually weak. As a result, strong winds shifted farther from the pole, creating ideal conditions for stratospheric cloud formation.
It is on the particles of such clouds that chlorine and bromine from industrial emissions, activated by sunlight, most actively destroy the planet's protective layer.
Despite the temporary expansion, experts emphasize that the overall recovery of Earth's protective shield continues. Thanks to the Montreal Protocol, stratospheric chlorine concentrations have fallen by a third compared with the 1980s. Scientists note that without the international ban on harmful chemicals, this year's hole would have been several million square kilometers larger, and the full closure of the gap is still expected by the end of the century.