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[Light Piano Music]

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This year, the ozone hole over Antarctica reached its annual maximum area on Sept. 21, 2023.

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At its peak, the hole, which is really a region of thinning, measured 10 million square miles. 

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That’s approximately the size of North America.

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Weather patterns, temperatures, and the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, all influenced the size of the Antarctic ozone hole this year.

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2023’s ozone hole ranks as the 16th largest in 44 years of available satellite data.

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NASA and NOAA researchers monitor the ozone hole  every year using instruments aboard the Aura, Suomi NPP,  and NOAA-20 satellites and measured from ground stations.