Ozone hole over Antarctica larger than usual, scientists say

BERLIN (AP) — Scientists say the Southern Hemisphere ozone hole is larger than usual and already surpasses the size of Antarctica. The European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said Thursday that the ozone hole has grown considerably in the past week following an average start. Atmospheric ozone absorbs ultraviolet light coming from the sun. Its absence means more of this high-energy radiation reaches Earth, where it can harm living cells. Last year’s ozone hole also started out unremarkably but then turned into one of the longest-lasting ones on record. The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, led to a ban on a group of chemicals called halocarbons that were blamed for exacerbating the annual ozone hole.