In reference to the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, celebrated on this date, the European Earth observation service released a statement informing that the area of the ozone hole grew significantly during the first half of this month, reaching approximately 25 million square kilometers.
On September 12, this value was already about five million square kilometers above the expected average for the period, and projections indicate a possible additional increase still this month.
CAMS details in its statement that the hole in Antarctica has shown a characteristic rhythm since the second half of August, maintaining the consistency observed over the last 46 years, reaching 15 million square kilometers at the end of the month.
According to CAMS, the decrease in ozone in the southern hemisphere stratosphere occurs due to low temperatures, which allow the formation of stratospheric polar clouds, affecting the activation of chemical ozone removal.
The recent rapid increase in the ozone layer hole coincided with an abrupt drop in minimum temperature, which reached about 20 kilometers above the South Pole.
However, CAMS emphasizes that other indicators related to the ozone layer hole being monitored remained close to their average values.
Laurence Rouil, director of CAMS, explained in the statement that the development of the Antarctic ozone hole can show considerable variations from one year to another, depending on various chemical and atmospheric factors.
It is important to note that the ozone layer plays a vital role in protecting terrestrial life against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, absorbing a large part of it, which is one of the main causes of skin cancer.
Over almost half a century, emissions resulting from human activities have contributed to the weakening of this protective layer. The Antarctic ozone hole, monitored since the late 1970s, recorded a historical peak of 29.6 million square kilometers in September 2006, and recently implemented protection measures have promoted recovery.