In the clouds, a silver lining: The ozone layer is on track to fully heal

There is a silver lining to the ominous hole in Earth’s vitally protective ozone layer, observed over Antarctica since the late 1970s: It’s not only showing signs of healing, it’s on track to fully close by midcentury. 

Closer to Earth’s surface, ozone is a pollutant and the main ingredient of smog. But six miles up in the stratosphere, or ozone layer, it shields the planet from harmful solar radiation. 

Concern over