<\/p>\n
This story is an update to the Antarctic ozone hole feature<\/a> in our World of Change series<\/a>, which documents how Earth changes over months, seasons, and years.<\/em><\/p>\nThe stratospheric ozone layer protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet light, which damages DNA in plants and animals (including humans) and leads to sunburns and skin cancer. Prior to 1979, scientists had not observed atmospheric ozone concentrations below 220\u00a0Dobson Units<\/a>. But\u00a0in 1985,\u00a0British Antarctic Survey scientists using ground-based measurements at Halley Research Station reported<\/a> that Earth\u2019s natural sunscreen was thinning dramatically over Antarctica each spring. NASA satellite instruments revealed the continental scale of this Antarctic ozone thinning, and it came to be known as the ozone hole.<\/p>\nThe data visualizations below shows the ozone hole each year from 1979 through 2026 (no data are available for 1995). The measurements were made from 1979-2004 by the TOMS<\/a> (NASA\u2019s\u00a0Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) instruments on Nimbus-7 and several additional satellites; from 2005-2011 by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) on the Aura<\/a> satellite; from 2012-2025 by the\u00a0OMPS<\/a> (Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite; and in 2026 by the OMPS on the NOAA-20<\/a> satellite. Red and yellow areas indicate the ozone hole.<\/p>\nAs the images show, the word hole isn\u2019t literal; no place is empty of ozone. Scientists use the word hole as a metaphor for the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units<\/a>. Using this metaphor, they can describe the hole\u2019s area and depth. These maps show the state of the ozone hole each year on the day of maximum depth\u2014the day the lowest ozone concentrations were measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1979<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1980<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1981<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1982<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1983<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1984<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1985<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1986<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1987<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1988<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1989<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1990<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1991<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1992<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1993<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1994<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1996<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1997<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1998<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1999<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
The stratospheric ozone layer protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet light, which damages DNA in plants and animals (including humans) and leads to sunburns and skin cancer. Prior to 1979, scientists had not observed atmospheric ozone concentrations below 220\u00a0Dobson Units<\/a>. But\u00a0in 1985,\u00a0British Antarctic Survey scientists using ground-based measurements at Halley Research Station reported<\/a> that Earth\u2019s natural sunscreen was thinning dramatically over Antarctica each spring. NASA satellite instruments revealed the continental scale of this Antarctic ozone thinning, and it came to be known as the ozone hole.<\/p>\nThe data visualizations below shows the ozone hole each year from 1979 through 2026 (no data are available for 1995). The measurements were made from 1979-2004 by the TOMS<\/a> (NASA\u2019s\u00a0Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) instruments on Nimbus-7 and several additional satellites; from 2005-2011 by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) on the Aura<\/a> satellite; from 2012-2025 by the\u00a0OMPS<\/a> (Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite; and in 2026 by the OMPS on the NOAA-20<\/a> satellite. Red and yellow areas indicate the ozone hole.<\/p>\nAs the images show, the word hole isn\u2019t literal; no place is empty of ozone. Scientists use the word hole as a metaphor for the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units<\/a>. Using this metaphor, they can describe the hole\u2019s area and depth. These maps show the state of the ozone hole each year on the day of maximum depth\u2014the day the lowest ozone concentrations were measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1979<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1980<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1981<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1982<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1983<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1984<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1985<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1986<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1987<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1988<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1989<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1990<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1991<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1992<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1993<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1994<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1996<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1997<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1998<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1999<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
The data visualizations below shows the ozone hole each year from 1979 through 2026 (no data are available for 1995). The measurements were made from 1979-2004 by the TOMS<\/a> (NASA\u2019s\u00a0Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) instruments on Nimbus-7 and several additional satellites; from 2005-2011 by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) on the Aura<\/a> satellite; from 2012-2025 by the\u00a0OMPS<\/a> (Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite; and in 2026 by the OMPS on the NOAA-20<\/a> satellite. Red and yellow areas indicate the ozone hole.<\/p>\nAs the images show, the word hole isn\u2019t literal; no place is empty of ozone. Scientists use the word hole as a metaphor for the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units<\/a>. Using this metaphor, they can describe the hole\u2019s area and depth. These maps show the state of the ozone hole each year on the day of maximum depth\u2014the day the lowest ozone concentrations were measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1979<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1980<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1981<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1982<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1983<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1984<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1985<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1986<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1987<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1988<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1989<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1990<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1991<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1992<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1993<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1994<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1996<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1997<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1998<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1999<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
As the images show, the word hole isn\u2019t literal; no place is empty of ozone. Scientists use the word hole as a metaphor for the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units<\/a>. Using this metaphor, they can describe the hole\u2019s area and depth. These maps show the state of the ozone hole each year on the day of maximum depth\u2014the day the lowest ozone concentrations were measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1979<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1980<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1981<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1982<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1983<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1984<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1985<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1986<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1987<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1988<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1989<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1990<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1991<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1992<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1993<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1994<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1996<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1997<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1998<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n1999<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n