The smudges of dark blue on this Envisat-derived ozone forecast trace the start of what has unfortunately become an annual event: the opening of the ozone hole above the South Pole.
More at:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaEO/SEM3B90XDYD_index_0.html
The editor reminds folks that the “Ozone Hole” was only discovered in the 1980’s and it is still unknown if it has existed as a normal part of the Earth’s Atmospheric interactions.
This story spends a lot of time blaming the Ozone Hole on human activities, when there is no historical data to prove the theory.