The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica last week reached its largest size since 2015. It is the third straight year the hole has reached more than 24.8 million square kilometers. That is a bit larger than the size of North America. But experts say that, in general, the hole is getting smaller year by year. “The overall trend is improvement. It’s a little worse this year because it was a little colder this year,” said NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Chief Earth Scientist Paul Newman. Cooler-than-normal temperatures high in the atmosphere over the southern polar areas increased clouds. And the clouds release chlorine and bromine chemicals, Newman said. These chemicals react with the ozone and break it apart. Some experts say the cooler air above Antarctica is the result of climate change. Even though heat-trapping carbon from coal, natural gas and oil make Earth’s surface warmer, the upper atmosphere gets cooler. But Newman said the ozone area above Antarctica might be too low to be cooled by climate change. Some scientists worry that climate change will start affecting efforts to reduce the ozone hole. “The fact that the stratosphere is showing signs of cooling due to climate change is a concern,” said Martyn Chipperfield. He is an atmospheric scientist at Britain’s University of Leeds. In 1987, the world agreed to an important treaty called the Montreal Protocol. The treaty banned ozone-destroying chemicals. It took many years to see the effects of the treaty. That is because some of the chemicals that destroy ozone, such as CFC11, can stay in the atmosphere for decades. Chlorine levels are down almost 30 percent compared to their highest level 20 years ago, Newman said. University of Colorado’s Brian Toon noted that large fires in Australia and the addition of huge amounts of water from January’s undersea volcanic burst are new factors that may be affecting the ozone hole.
Title: Ozone Hole Reaches Largest Size Since 2015, But Shrinking Continues
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/A19.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Ozone Hole Reaches Largest Size Since 2015, But Shrinking Continues' data-article-id='6264'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9521'>The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica last week reached its largest size since 2015. </span> <span data-start-time='9521' data-end-time='18042'>It is the third straight year the hole has reached more than 24.8 million square kilometers. </span> <span data-start-time='18042' data-end-time='22938'>That is a bit larger than the size of North America.</span> <span data-start-time='22938' data-end-time='29667'>But experts say that, in general, the hole is getting smaller year by year.</span> <span data-start-time='29667' data-end-time='33188'>“The overall trend is improvement. </span> <span data-start-time='33188' data-end-time='45771'>It’s a little worse this year because it was a little colder this year,” said NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Chief Earth Scientist Paul Newman.</span> <span data-start-time='45771' data-end-time='54854'>Cooler-than-normal temperatures high in the atmosphere over the southern polar areas increased clouds. </span> <span data-start-time='54854' data-end-time='61042'>And the clouds release chlorine and bromine chemicals, Newman said. </span> <span data-start-time='61042' data-end-time='66125'>These chemicals react with the ozone and break it apart.</span> <span data-start-time='66125' data-end-time='74021'>Some experts say the cooler air above Antarctica is the result of climate change. </span> <span data-start-time='74021' data-end-time='86979'>Even though heat-trapping carbon from coal, natural gas and oil make Earth’s surface warmer, the upper atmosphere gets cooler. </span> <span data-start-time='86979' data-end-time='97021'>But Newman said the ozone area above Antarctica might be too low to be cooled by climate change.</span> <span data-start-time='97021' data-end-time='104813'>Some scientists worry that climate change will start affecting efforts to reduce the ozone hole.</span> <span data-start-time='104813' data-end-time='115813'>“The fact that the stratosphere is showing signs of cooling due to climate change is a concern,” said Martyn Chipperfield. </span> <span data-start-time='115813' data-end-time='121250'>He is an atmospheric scientist at Britain’s University of Leeds.</span> <span data-start-time='121250' data-end-time='129813'>In 1987, the world agreed to an important treaty called the Montreal Protocol. </span> <span data-start-time='129813' data-end-time='134458'>The treaty banned ozone-destroying chemicals. </span> <span data-start-time='134458' data-end-time='138771'>It took many years to see the effects of the treaty. </span> <span data-start-time='138771' data-end-time='149417'>That is because some of the chemicals that destroy ozone, such as CFC11, can stay in the atmosphere for decades.</span> <span data-start-time='149417' data-end-time='159125'>Chlorine levels are down almost 30 percent compared to their highest level 20 years ago, Newman said.</span> <span data-start-time='159125' data-end-time='177604'>University of Colorado’s Brian Toon noted that large fires in Australia and the addition of huge amounts of water from January’s undersea volcanic burst are new factors that may be affecting the ozone hole.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/A19.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18962 data-hint-location='29667' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_trend.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word trend?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a general direction in which something is developing or changing'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/a_general_direction_in_which_something_is_developing_or_changing.wav'><span>a general direction in which something is developing or changing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/a_curve_especially_a_sharp_one_in_a_road_river_racecourse_or_path.wav'><span>a curve, especially a sharp one, in a road, river, racecourse, or path</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/care_for_or_look_after.wav'><span>care for or look after</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/affect_with_powerful_emotion.wav'><span>affect with powerful emotion</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18963 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/over_which_continent_is_the_ozone_hole_discussed_in_this_article.wav'>Over which continent is the ozone hole discussed in this article?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Antarctica'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/antarctica.wav'><span>Antarctica</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/africa.wav'><span>Africa</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/australia.wav'><span>Australia</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/asia.wav'><span>Asia</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18964 data-hint-location='86979' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/but_newman_said_the_ozone_area_above_antarctica_might_be_too_low_to_be_cooled_by_climate__blank_.wav'>But Newman said the ozone area above Antarctica might be too low to be cooled by climate <span class='blank'>change</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='change'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/chance.wav'><span>chance</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/change.wav'><span>change</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/range.wav'><span>range</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5693/pain.wav'><span>pain</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button 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