2023 Ozone Hole 16th Largest Despite Volcano Eruption, Shows Overall Improvement: NOAA and NASA Reports

Last year's Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption likely contributed to the ozone depletion in 2023, but overall progress in ozone layer recovery and efforts from the Montreal Protocol led to only modest damage instead of feared aggravation.

The 2023 Antarctic ozone hole, at its maximum size, covered 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers), ranking it as the 16th largest since 1979, according to data from NOAA and NASA.
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in January 2022 likely contributed to the ozone depletion observed in 2023, but the specific degree of impact remains undefined.
Significant strides in ozone layer recovery have been made, thanks in part to the implementation of the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which led to a global ban on the production of ozone-depleting chemicals by 2010.
Despite the volcano eruption, local weather conditions and the declining levels of human-produced chlorine compounds assisted in slightly improving ozone levels in 2023.
Sustained monitoring and research by NOAA and NASA, using satellites and other tools, continue to provide valuable information in tracking the status and health of the earth's protective ozone layer.