September 25, 2021
Today in 1974, researchers F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina published their findings that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were damaging the ozone layer. At the time, CFCs were commonly used in aerosol sprays and as coolants with many applications. Today, CFCs are outlawed by 197 countries around the world and scientists agree the ozone layer is slowly recovering as a result.
At an August 1985 meeting in Prague, Pawan Bhartia presented this satellite-based image that revealed for the first time the size and magnitude of the ozone hole. Credit: NASA