OZONE RECOVERY ON TRACK DESPITE LARGE HOLE REMAINING

The annual Antarctic ozone hole reached an average area of 23.1 million square kilometres between 7 September and 13 October 2022— around the size of North America.

While large, this is a reduction on the previous year and demonstrates a continuing shrinking trend.

Experts say that the ozone layer is recovering, and that annual variabilities are due to high altitude weather temperatures.

“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 Centre.

The ozone layer is an important shield for the earth, blocking out almost all harmful UV radiation. Without it, increased exposure to UV radiation results in more cases of skin cancer and damaged ecosystems, and impacts crop yields, potentially leading to food shortages.

Human-driven pollution had been

The United Nations Environment Program has released its Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion 2022.

The report examines progress with the Montreal Protocol and the reduction of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) in the atmosphere. The most recent report found that:

„ actions taken under the Montreal Protocol continue to contribute to ozone recovery, decreasing the atmospheric abundance of ODSs and advancing the regeneration of the stratospheric ozone layer

„ compliance with the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which requires the phase down of production and consumption of some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), is estimated to avoid 0.3–0.5°C of warming by 2100

„ the recent identification of unexpected CFC-11 emissions led to scientific investigations and policy responses

„ outside of the polar regions, observations and models agree that ozone in the upper stratosphere continues to recover

„ heightened concerns about influences on 21st century ozone include impacts of:

 further increases in nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide concentrations

 rapidly expanding ODS and HFC feedstock use and emissions

 climate change on total column ozone in the tropics

 extraordinary wildfires and volcanic eruptions destroying ozone faster than it can form. To curtail this, the Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987, regulates the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, putting the ozone layer on a path of recovery.

On current trends, the ozone layer could be fully repaired by 2070.

Read more at https://ozone.unep. org/ozone-layer-recovery-trackdespite-large-annual-hole.

 increased frequency of civilian rocket launches

 the emissions of a proposed new fleet of supersonic commercial aircraft.

The report can be found at https://ozone.unep.org/scientificassessment-ozone-depletion-2022