--- title: Record Hole in Ozone Layer Will Shrink, Scientists Say description: The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has reached a record size, but climate scientists say there's still no cause for alarm. canonical: https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-29T17:20:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:57:18.787Z article:section: Science og:title: Record Hole in Ozone Layer Will Shrink, Scientists Say og:description: The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has reached a record size, but climate scientists say there's still no cause for alarm. og:url: https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3541c52e5b16435d/69886ec83c1639d49645a76d/ozone-layer-hole.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Ozone Layer Hole og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Record Hole in Ozone Layer Will Shrink, Scientists Say twitter:description: The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has reached a record size, but climate scientists say there's still no cause for alarm. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3541c52e5b16435d/69886ec83c1639d49645a76d/ozone-layer-hole.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Don't Worry About That Record Hole in the Ozone Layer, Scientists Say ## Video: Watch: A Timelapse of Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): Watch: A Timelapse of Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ywHiuC83.m3u8) (0:48)  _Published 2013-05-09. Climate Change_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Oct 29, 2015 5:20 PM UTC  Image of the largest Antarctic ozone hole ever recorded (September 2006), over the Southern pole. Image of the largest Antarctic ozone hole ever recorded (September 2006), over the Southern pole.NASA  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Oct 29, 2015 5:20 PM UTC The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has reached a record size, but climate scientists say there’s still no cause for alarm. The size of the ozone hole varies, [the _Guardian_ reports](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/29/record-hole-in-ozone-layer-no-cause-for-alarm), but reached a record size on Oct. 2 of 10.9 million square miles as temperatures in the stratosphere plunged. The ozone layer protects the Earth from the rays of the Sun, and last year was the first year that the World Meteorological Organization said it saw signs of ozone recovery. “This shows us that the ozone hole problem is still with us and we need to remain vigilant,” World Meteorological Organization atmospheric and environment research division senior scientist Geir Braathen said. “But there is no reason for undue alarm… This does not reverse the projected long-term recovery in the coming decades.” \[[_The Guardian_](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/29/record-hole-in-ozone-layer-no-cause-for-alarm)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/"},"headline":"Don't Worry About That Record Hole in the Ozone Layer, Scientists Say","datePublished":"2015-10-29T17:20:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:57:18.787Z","description":"The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has reached a record size, but climate scientists say there's still no cause for alarm.","url":"https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/","keywords":["Environment","earth"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3541c52e5b16435d/69886ec83c1639d49645a76d/ozone-layer-hole.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3541c52e5b16435d/69886ec83c1639d49645a76d/ozone-layer-hole.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ozone Layer Hole","caption":"Ozone Layer Hole","creditText":"NASA","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/","name":"Don't Worry About That Record Hole in the Ozone Layer, Scientists Say"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch: A Timelapse of Climate Change","description":"Climate Change","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ywHiuC83/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2013-05-09T17:46:05.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ywHiuC83.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/","duration":"PT48S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4093030/ozone-layer-record-hole-alarm/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```