Ozone hole above Antarctica grows

The hole in the ozone layer in Antarctica has expanded

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The ozone hole over Antarctica expanded again this year, reaching its fourth-largest extent on record,

At the South Pole, the ozone depletion reached almost 100 per cent in the 14-19 kilometre layer above the polar station, compared with the 95 per cent rate at its usual peak.

Abnormally cold temperatures in the stratosphere about 25 kilometres above the Earth's surface are blamed for the increased size of the maximum hole, which formed later in the year and has lasted a couple of weeks longer than usual.

Ozone hole above Antarctica grows

The seasonal hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has widened to near-record size, the United Nations says, while insisting that efforts to save the earth's protective shield are working.

The World Meteorological Organization said colder-than-usual high altitude temperatures over the Antarctic combined with ozone-eating gases lingering in the atmosphere had stretched the ozone hole to an average of 26.9 million square kilometres over a 30 day period - covering an area larger than all of North America.