The 2004 Antarctic Ozone Hole
 Life cycles
of the Antarctic ozone hole, as determined from NOAA
SBUV
observations. The red curve shows the growth and decline of the ozone hole in 2004.
Other curves show the life cycle in 2003 (blue), the mean life cycle (green), the
largest events (upper black), and the
smalllest holes (lower black). NESDIS
scientists, working closely with scientists at
NOAA's
Climate Prediction Center, continue to closely monitor the Antarctic ozone hole.
Extensive ozone depletion was again observed over Antarctica during the Southern Hemisphere
winter/spring of 2004, with widespread total ozone anomalies of 45 percent or more below
the 1979-1986 base period. The area covered by extremely low total ozone values of less
than 220 Dobson Units, defined as the Antarctic 'ozone hole' area, in September 2004
reached a maximum size of greater than 19 million square kilometers and an average size
of September of 17.4 million square kilometers, smaller than most recent years.
Figure. 2004 Southern Hemisphere Antarctic ozone hole area.
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