Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Ozone depletion: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

News •

NASA, NOAA Track 2026 Antarctic Ozone Hole • Nov. 4, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (NASA Science (.gov))

Facts

Also Known As ozone hole

Photos

ozone depletion
Three researchers in winter clothing launch a large transparent balloon carrying an ozonesonde on a snowy field at South Pole Station in Antarctica, with research buildings in the background.
A vertical flowchart outlines the main steps in stratospheric ozone depletion, starting with emissions of halogen source gases, followed by accumulation, transport to the stratosphere, chemical conversion, ozone-depleting reactions, the role of polar stratospheric clouds, and ending with removal of reactive gases by rain. Each step is described in a labeled box with downward arrows connecting the sequence.
Ozone depletion
ozone: hole
See All Images and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

default image
Joseph C. Farman
British atmospheric scientist
Mario Molina
Mario Molina
American chemist
Rowland, F. Sherwood
F. Sherwood Rowland
American chemist
default image
Paul Crutzen
Dutch chemist

Related Quizzes

Combination shot of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park, Montana in the years 1938, 1981, 1998 and 2006.
Pop Quiz: 18 Things to Know About Global Warming