Context
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) of the European Commission reported that the 2026 Antarctic ozone hole expanded rapidly to about 25 million km² on September 12, around 5 million km² above the seasonal average. Its rapid growth coincided with unusually cold conditions in the Antarctic stratosphere.
Explanation
- The ozone layer is a thin band of Ozone gas (O3) in the Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Without the ozone layer, unfiltered solar radiation would instantly and drastically change life on Earth.
- An ozone hole means severe seasonal depletion of stratospheric ozone, most prominently over Antarctica during austral spring (August to November).
- Extremely low temperatures form Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs), which convert chlorine and bromine compounds into chemically active forms.
- With the return of sunlight in spring, these halogens catalytically destroy ozone.
- A strong polar vortex isolates cold Antarctic air and favours prolonged ozone depletion.
- Major Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and carbon tetrachloride.
- The Vienna Convention, 1985 provides the framework for ozone protection, while the Montreal Protocol, 1987 controls ODS.
- The Kigali Amendment, 2016 targets hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), mainly because of their global-warming potential, not because they significantly deplete ozone.
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