In 2024, the ozone hole over Earth’s southern pole was smaller than in many previous years, according to NASA and NOAA scientists. They estimate that the ozone layer could be fully recovered by 2066.Between September 7 and October 13, 2024, the peak of the ozone depletion season, the ozone hole ranked as the seventh smallest since recovery efforts began in 1992. That year marked the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, a historic global agreement aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances.
But what exactly is the ozone layer? Click through the gallery to explore its story and the global actions taken to protect it.