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Antarctic ozone hole seventh largest on record
खबर में क्यों?
Seventh-largest hole in 48 years: the Montreal Protocol facts every GS3 Environment answer needs
2026 ozone hole ranks seventh largest in 48 years.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2015
What you need to know
2 मिनट
NASA and NOAA reported that the 2026 Antarctic ozone hole was the seventh largest in 48 years of monitoring.
The Montreal Protocol of 1987 is the treaty phasing out ozone-depleting substances.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
मुख्य तथ्य
Remember these
- NASA and NOAA reported the 2026 Antarctic ozone hole as the seventh largest in 48 years of monitoring.
- The Montreal Protocol was adopted in 1987 to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
- Ozone-depleting substances include CFCs, halons and other chlorine- and bromine-containing chemicals.
- The 1992 Rio Earth Summit produced the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD, not the Montreal Protocol.
- The ozone hole forms over Antarctica each southern spring (September-October).
प्रीलिम्स · मेन्स
How the exam will ask it
प्रीलिम्स
- The Montreal Protocol (1987) is an international treaty to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
- The Antarctic ozone hole is monitored by agencies such as NASA and NOAA.
- The Montreal Protocol predates the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which gave rise to the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD.
- Ozone depletion is caused mainly by chlorine and bromine released from man-made chemicals like CFCs.
मेन्स
GS3 Environment: the ozone hole is a global commons problem. The Montreal Protocol's phase-out of ozone-depleting substances is widely seen as a successful multilateral regime, yet year-to-year variation in the hole's size shows recovery is gradual. The way forward is full compliance, monitoring and curbing replacement gases, which links ozone protection to climate action.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances?
- Bretton Woods Conference
- Montreal Protocol
- Kyoto Protocol
- Nagoya Protocol
उत्तर देखें
उत्तर: B
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
With reference to the Montreal Protocol, consider the following statements:
- It was adopted in 1987 to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
- It was adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
उत्तर देखें
उत्तर: A — Correct: 1 only — statement 1 is right (1987), whereas statement 2 is wrong since the Protocol predates the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. • 2 only — wrong: statement 2 is false because Rio 1992 produced the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD, not the Montreal Protocol. • Both 1 and 2 — wrong: statement 1 holds but statement 2 fails, so 'both' is incorrect. • Neither 1 nor 2 — wrong: statement 1 is accurate, so 'neither' cannot be right.
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