--- 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. title: Record Hole in Ozone Layer Will Shrink, Scientists Say 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 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Environment](/tag/environment/) ## Environment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Don't Worry About That Record Hole in the Ozone Layer, Scientists Say  by [Tessa Berenson](/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 29, 2015 5:20 PM CUT  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](/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 29, 2015 5:20 PM CUT 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 "undefined"), 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.” \[[_The Guardian_](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/29/record-hole-in-ozone-layer-no-cause-for-alarm "undefined")\] ```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":"2026-02-22T12:12:07.549Z","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"}}] ```