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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) polar-obriting satellites monitor the ozone levels around the globe. The ozone layer acts to protect life on Earth by blocking harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. The "ozone hole" is a severe depletion of the ozone layer high above Antarctica. It is primarily caused by human-produced compounds that release chlorine and bromine gases in the stratosphere. NOAA scientists reported that the 2006 ozone hole in the polar region of the Southern Hemisphere broke records for area and depth. In this animation, the POES satellite sensors document the change in the ozone hole over Antarctica. In the critical layer of the atmosphere between 8 and 13 miles, nearly all of the ozone has been destroyed. However, large declines in the ozone hole, such as the one in 2006, are common year-to-year variations caused by Antarctic stratosphere weather fluctuations. Overall, the ozone hole is estimated to decrease annually very slowly in area by about 0.1 to 0.2 percent for the next 5 to 10 years.

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