"What's more, the 2025 ozone hole at its maximum extent was the smallest in five years, at 8.13 million sq miles (21.08 million km2). It marks the second consecutive year of relatively small holes compared to the series of large and long-lasting ozone holes from 2020-2023. And it fuels hopes for the ozone layer's complete recovery - potentially within the next couple of decades."
"Dr Laurence Rouil, director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), called the earlier closure and relatively small size 'a reassuring sign'. 'It reflects the steady year-on-year progress we are now observing in the recovery of the ozone layer,' he said. The ozone hole is not technically a 'hole' where no ozone is present, but is actually a region of exceptionally depleted ozone over the Antarctic."
The Antarctic ozone hole closed on December 1, 2025, earlier than expected and the earliest closure since 2019. The 2025 maximum extent was 8.13 million sq miles (21.08 million km2), the smallest in five years and below 2023's 10.07 million sq miles. This was the second consecutive year of relatively small holes, indicating steady progress and raising hopes for full recovery within decades. The ozone hole is a region of exceptionally depleted ozone; in 2025 it developed in mid-August, peaked in early September, and declined through September and October, ranging roughly between 5.7 and 7.7 million sq miles.
Read at Mail Online
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