Reports: Antarctic Ozone Hole Smallest, Shortest Duration Since 2019
The Facts
- The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) found that the 2025 Antarctic ozone hole closed on Monday — marking the earliest closure since 2019 — while NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ranked the hole as the fifth smallest since 1992, when the Montreal Protocol began to take effect.
- At its maximum extent in early September 2025, the ozone hole measured 8.13 million square miles (21.0 million km²) according to CAMS, while NASA reported it reached 8.83 million square miles (22.9 million km²) on Sept. 9, representing approximately 30% smaller than the largest hole observed in 2006.
- During the 2025 depletion season, from Sept. 7 through Oct. 13, the ozone hole averaged 7.23 million square miles (18.7 million km²). NOAA scientists noted that it began breaking up nearly three weeks earlier than the decade-long average.
Sources Split
LEFT
CENTER
RIGHT
+2
+1
.jpg&w=64&q=75 "Steve Milloy"){kind=small}
+1
ESTAB
CRIT
CENTER
PRO
ESTAB
The Spin
Climate-concerned narrative
The Antarctic ozone hole is shrinking because the world acted decisively to cut ozone-depleting chemicals. Satellite data and modeling show recovery is real and human-driven, with 95% statistical confidence — proof that treaties like the Montreal Protocol work when governments prioritize science over ideology. This is a clear victory for global cooperation and a blueprint for tackling other planetary crises.
Climate-skeptic narrative
The Antarctic ozone "crisis" was always overhyped, with decades of warnings about skin cancer, blind animals and uninhabitable cities that never came true. Observations show natural variation largely explains ozone changes, and the Montreal Protocol addressed a problem already resolving itself. This episode proves that alarmist environmental policies often exaggerate threats while restricting freedom and modern conveniences.
Metaculus Prediction
Go Deeper
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.18.2