blank image
Previous Animation
Next Animation
TOMS Ozone at the South Pole: September Averages from 1979 through 2000.
The year 2000's Antarctic ozone hole is the largest ever observed. Scientists continue to investigate the phenomenon, and are somewhat surprised by its scale. Using data from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument onboard the Earth Probe satellite, researchers can evaluate and compare current conditions over the south pole to readings taken by other instruments in years past. Continued monitoring of polar ozone levels helps researchers gain a better understanding of how the planet's climate may be changing. The following animation shows how ozone loss at the south pole has grown since the mid-80s. Early readings over Antarctica indicate little or no ozone depletion beyond naturally predicted levels. But as the 80s and 90s progress, a clear change in atmospheric chemistry takes place at the bottom of the world. The hole starts small in the late 80s and spreads as subsequent winter cycles break apart ozone molecules.

Total ozone over the South Pole for each September from 1979 through 2000 as measured by the TOMS instruments on Nimbus 7, Meteor 3, and Earth Probe. Dark blue represents regions of very low ozone concentration in the stratosphere.    Total ozone over the South Pole for each September from 1979 through 2000 as measured by the TOMS instruments on Nimbus 7, Meteor 3, and Earth Probe. Dark blue represents regions of very low ozone concentration in the stratosphere.
Duration: 26.0 seconds
Available formats:
  352x240 (29.97 fps) MPEG-1   3 MB
  160x80       PNG           13 KB
  80x40         PNG           4 KB
  320x242     JPEG         6 KB
How to play our movies


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1979.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1979.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   195 KB
  720 x 486         JPEG     14 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1980.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1980.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   450 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1981.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1981.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   452 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1982.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1982.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   441 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1983.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1983.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   456 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1984.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1984.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   454 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1985.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1985.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   435 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1986.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1986.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   449 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1987.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1987.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   446 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1988.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1988.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   464 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1989.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1989.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   449 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1990.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1990.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   442 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1991.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1991.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   452 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1992.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1992.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   440 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1993.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1993.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   443 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1994.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1994.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   452 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1996.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1996.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   452 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1997.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1997.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   449 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1998.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1998.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   441 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1999.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 1999.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   445 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       5 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB


Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 2000.    Stratospheric Ozone level averaged over September, 2000.

Available formats:
  720 x 486         TIFF   162 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG       7 KB
  80 x 40             PNG       10 KB

Animation Number:1203
Completed:2000-10-03
Animator:Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC) (Lead)
Scientist:Paul Newman (NASA/GSFC)
Platforms/Sensors/Data Sets:Earth Probe/TOMS
 Meteor-3/TOMS
 Nimbus-7/TOMS
 Earth Probe/TOMS/Total Ozone
 Meteor-3/TOMS/Total Ozone
 Nimbus-7/TOMS/Total Ozone
Data Collected:1979/09-2000/09
Series:Stratospheric Ozone
Video:SVS2000-0006 *
Goddard TV Tape:G2000-082A
Keywords:
DLESE >> Atmospheric science
SVS >> Ozone
 
 
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio


*Please note: the SVS does not fulfill requests for copies of the tapes in our library. On some of our animation pages, there is a direct link to a video distribution service from which tapes, handled by the Public Affairs Office (PAO)/Goddard TV, including some of our animations may be ordered. General information on this service can be found here.


Back to Top

USA.gov logo - the U.S. Government's official Web portal. + Privacy Policy and Important Notices
+ Reproduction Guidelines 		NASA NASA Official:
Content Contact:
Curator: