NASA says Antarctic ozone hole grew to its largest size in a decade
At its peak on Sept. 18, the hole covered 10.5 million square miles, about 90% of the record set in 2000.
The Antarctic ozone hole expanded sharply in 2026 because of unusual weather patterns, reaching one of its largest sizes on record, according to NASA and NOAA scientists. Even so, they said the ozone layer continues its gradual recovery and is on track to heal later this century.
Between Sept. 7 and Oct. 13, when ozone loss was at its seasonal peak, the hole averaged about 9.6 million square miles, more than twice the size of the United States. It reached its maximum extent on Sept. 18, at 10.5 million square miles. That was about 90% of the largest hole ever measured, on Sept. 9, 2000. The 2026 hole ranked seventh-largest in 48 years of observations.
Scientists blamed a exceptionally strong polar vortex, a large wind circulation over Antarctica, for the expansion. NASA's Paul Newman said the hole could have been 1 to 2 million square miles larger if ozone-depleting chemicals were as common as they were at their 2000 peak. The chemicals, mainly compounds with chlorine and bromine, come from human activity and are broken apart in the stratosphere.
Key points
- The 2026 hole reached 10.5 million square miles on Sept. 18.
- It ranked seventh-largest in 48 years of records.
- Scientists say the ozone layer is still healing.
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Summarized with AI from the sources above and reviewed before publishing.
