UN: The ozone layer of Antarctica was probably closed in the 2060s

Researchers expect the ozone hole over Antarctica to disappear in the 2060s, according to a scientific assessment presented Monday in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

In the late 1970s, the ozone layer began to weaken around the world due to the use of some refrigerants and propellants in sprayers. The researchers sounded the alarm and the chemicals that deplete the ozone layer were gradually phased out. Through the ban of chemicals that degrade the ozone layer, damage to the protective layer in the atmosphere is ongoing.

The researchers discovered the first signs indicating that the hole in the Antarctic ozone layer is about to be plugged in July 2016. The scientific assessment presented on Monday shows that the measures still work.

– It's really good news. If the increase in ozone-depleting substances had continued, we would have seen a huge effect. We were stuck, "said NASA researcher Paul Newman, who led the work on the new report.

The ozone layer begins about 10 kilometers above the ground and extends for 40 kilometers beyond the stratosphere, one of the major layers of the Earth's atmosphere. An ozone molecule consists of three oxygen atoms.

The hole in the ozone layer is at its peak in September and October. This year, the hole over Antarctica rose to 24.8 million square kilometers. That's about 16% less than at its biggest increase in 2006. (NTB)