Another bad news for earthlings, the hole in the ozone layer is bigger than ever. Scientists with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service announced that the hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole is bigger than Antarctica, as per a press release from the organization.  

Researchers say that the hole has grown “considerably” in the last two weeks, and is now bigger than 75 percent of holes in the ozone layer since 1979. “[The hole] seems pretty similar to last year’s, which also wasn’t really exceptional until early September, but then turned into one of the largest and longest-lasting ozone holes in our data record later in the season,” said Copernicus’ director Vincent-Henri Peuch in the press release. “Now our forecasts show that this year’s hole has evolved into a rather larger than usual one.”

UV light to be more harmful

The ozone layer is very important in safeguarding our planet from the Sun’s UV radiation, which can harm terrestrial crops and animals. Increase exposure to UV light is also linked to skin cancer and cataracts in humans, as per the US Environmental Protection Agency.

However, the layer has depleted over the years due to chlorine and bromine atoms in the air that destroy ozone molecules. Every year, when temperatures in the South Pole going up during Antarctic spring, these atoms deplete the layer even more causing an annual “opening” of the ozone layer’s hole.

Will take another 30-40 years to heal

While the hole is as big as ever, Copernicus scientists are of opinion that the layer is recovering thanks to environmental regulations like the Montreal Protocol, which began regulation of chlorine and bromine chemicals in 1987. However, they estimate the ozone layer won’t completely recover until the 2060s or 2070s, reports CNN.

As per an updated report backed by around 14,000 scientists, the ecological vital signs of Earth are in terrible shape. Even before the new paper came out, it was known that it would provide grim insights into the future of our planet. The very first sentence of the research declares a climate change emergency that would result in “untold suffering.”