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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bright spot: Antarctica’s ozone hole is starting to heal

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Antarctica’s ozone hole finally is starting to heal, a new study finds.

In a triumph of international cooperation over a man-made environmental problem, research from the United States and the United Kingdom shows that the September-October ozone hole is getting smaller and forming later in the year.

And the study in Thursday’s journal Science also shows other indications that the ozone layer is improving after it was being eaten away by chemicals in aerosols and refrigerants. Ozone is a combination of three oxygen atoms; high in the atmosphere, it shields Earth from ultraviolet rays.

The hole has shrunk by about 1.7 million square miles in the key month of September since the year 2000 – a decline of about one-fifth, the study found. It also is taking about 10 days longer to reach its largest size, according to the study.

The hole won’t be completely closed until mid-century, but the healing is appearing earlier than scientists expected, said study lead author Susan Solomon of MIT.