When will the ozone layer disappear?

The ozone hole over the Antarctic is closing, but ozone is thinning elsewhere on the planet. A study published early in 2018 found that ozone levels were unexpectedly declining in the lower stratosphere between 60°S and 60°N, and that increases in the upper stratospheric ozone were insufficient to offset these decreases. Despite this, the ozone layer is not expected to disappear anytime soon.

Since the causes and mechanisms are still unknown, it is hard to predict what will happen next because there is still a great deal that scientists do not know about the ozone layer. For more information, see this article.

Ozone Watch, a fantastic website from NASA that tracks the ozone layer, allows you to see daily ozone levels, watch seasons-specific movies of the ozone hole, and get more information.

The ozone layer is not expected to disappear entirely. However, its depletion due to human activities, such as the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), can lead to thinning in certain regions, particularly over Antarctica. Efforts to mitigate ozone depletion, such as the Montreal Protocol, have been successful in reducing the use of ozone-depleting substances. As a result, the ozone layer is expected to gradually recover over the coming decades, although full recovery may take until the middle of the 21st century.