Hole in the ozone layer may be shrinking as regulations aid rebound

The amount of ozone in the atmosphere on Sept. 6 (Credit: NASA)

For the first time in decades, scientists have found that ozone concentrations in the atmosphere have gone up by a significant amount, according to NPR. NASA researchers made the discovery and say the giant hole in Earth’s ozone layer may be shrinking as a result.

From 2000 to 2013, scientists say that ozone levels climbed by four percent in the mid-northern latitudes. That’s located about 30 miles up, at the upper edge of the stratosphere.

An increase of ozone to the stratosphere is a considerable achievement for scientists who first noticed that CFCs were destroying the gas above Antarctica in the 1970s. And some say that steps taken in the 1980s, notably the Montreal Protocol which phased out CFC use, are finally yielding benefits today.

Image: The amount of ozone in the atmosphere on Sept. 6, 2014 (Credit: NASA)