Arctic ozone hole discovered in spring 2020, signaling unprecedented environmental shift.
In spring 2020, an unusual ozone hole was observed over the Arctic for the first time. This was caused by a stable polar vortex in the atmosphere, leading to very low ozone levels. The cold temperatures allowed for the formation of polar stratospheric clouds, which contributed to ozone depletion. Compared to similar events in 1997 and 2011, the ozone hole in 2020 had lower ozone levels. This highlights the unique nature of the Arctic ozone hole in 2020.