https://apnews.com/915a5c6c62174f42a67b1106edeebe3d > WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA reports the ozone hole near the south pole this year is the smallest since it was discovered in 1985. > Scientists say this is due more to freakishly warm Antarctic weather than the decades long effort to reduce the use of chlorinated chemicals that cause the seasonal gap. Earth's protective ozone layer shields life from harmful ultraviolet radiation.