This season, the hole in the ozone has grown to an area of 10 million square kilometers as of mid-August, roughly the size of the European continent and is still expanding. The hole is expected to reach its peak size during September
The hole in the ozone over Antarctica as of yesterday (September 1, 2005, 12 GMT)
This season, the hole in the ozone has grown to an area of 10 million square kilometers as of mid-August, roughly the size of the European continent and is still expanding. The hole is expected to reach its peak size during September and the European Space Agency's satellites are at the center of the monitoring system for its development.
The European Space Agency states that the size of the hole has not been this large since 2000, and it is the third largest hole ever, according to the measurements made by the European Space Agency.
"This year the hole is very large relative to the season, compared to the data from the previous decade. Only the ozone holes in 1996 and 2000 were larger at this stage of their development," the statement said.
Ozone, a molecule of oxygen, is the stratospheric skeleton of life on Earth, it filters ultraviolet sun rays that cause damage to vegetation and can cause skin cancer and cataracts. However, the protective layer is regularly damaged by man-made chemicals, mainly chlorine and toxic gases. Thus, one molecule of chlorine can destroy thousands of molecules of ozone.
