Environment News

Antarctic Ozone Hole 2026

September 18 , 2026 13 hrs 0 min 70 0

The 2026 Antarctic ozone hole reached 15 million km² by the end of August, slightly earlier than average, according to Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
It expanded sharply to about 25 million km² on September 12, around 5 million km² above the average for that period.
The rapid growth coincided with a sudden fall in stratospheric temperature at about 20 km above the South Pole.
Cold temperatures form Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs), which support chemical ozone depletion by halogens during austral spring.
Other indicators, including minimum ozone column value and ozone mass deficit, remained close to average levels.
The ozone hole forms annually over Antarctica during August–November, with recent years showing smaller and shorter-lived holes.