The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) found that the hole above the South Pole closed earlier than expected this year. Following a four-year run of late closures, Earth's protective layer has finally returned to normal by closing in early December.
In addition to closing early, the Antarctic ozone hole was also smaller and formed later than in the last few years, expanding to a peak of 8.49 million square miles by the end of September.
Climate experts say Earth's protective gas layer is now back in line with the post-1997 average, raising hopes that it could be on its way to recovery. Laurence Rouil, director of CAMS, says: 'Hopefully, we will see the first signs of recovery of the ozone hole in the coming decades.'
The ozone layer plays an extremely important role in maintaining the balance of life on Earth by absorbing harmful UVB radiation from the sun, which causes sunburns, cancer, and blindness.
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