News

Photo: Last flight from the South Pole

As winter closes in, flights to the international research compound are suspended for the long Antarctic winter.

4 ways the ozone hole is linked to climate, and 1 way it isn’t

To mark the peak of ozone hole season, we’re highlighting four ways that climate and the ozone hole are related—and one important way they aren’t.

South Pole is last place on Earth to pass global warming milestone

The Earth passed another unfortunate milestone May 23 when carbon dioxide surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) at the South Pole for the first time in 4 million years.

Last light: Sunset at the South Pole

In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox promises warmer days and green plants. But for researchers at NOAA's South Pole Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, Sunday March 20 marks the start of the austral autumn, the last time they see the sun for six months.

Understanding the Ozone Hole - a video designed for high school level students

The sun rises at the South Pole every Sept 21, after six months of darkness, and the spark of light from the rising sun also starts a season of ozone depletion down south. With the approach of that date in mind, a CIRES/NOAA scientist and videographer has developed a short, educational video that focuses on the ozone research being conducted by NOAA and CIRES scientists.

Polar Sunrise and the Ozone Hole at South Pole, Antarctica: Sept. 22, 2012

At the bottom of the world, fifty people are looking forward to seeing the sun peek above the horizon on or around September 22 – the first time they have seen the sun in six months. NOAA ESRL/ GMD personnel LTJG Heather Moe and Johan Booth spent the Antarctic winter working at NOAA’s Atmospheric Research Observatory located at the geographic South Pole. The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, one of three United States research stations in Antarctica, only experiences one sunrise and sunset per year due to its location at 90˚S latitude.

NOAA, NASA: Significant ozone hole remains over Antarctica

The Antarctic ozone hole, which yawns wide every Southern Hemisphere spring, reached its annual peak on September 12, stretching 10.05 million square miles, the ninth largest on record. Above the South Pole, the ozone hole reached its deepest point of the season on October 9 when total ozone readings dropped to 102 Dobson units, tied for the 10th lowest in the 26-year record.

South Pole ozone hole update

Scientists from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Global Monitoring Division, are closely watching the development of the Antarctic ozone hole from the South Pole observatory.