Not really. The “ozone hole” refers to a decrease in the layer of ozone gas found high in the Earth's atmosphere, which helps to shield the planet from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. The ozone layer has become thinner because of chemicals that were once commonly used in products ranging from spray cans to foam furniture cushions. While a thinner ozone layer allows more ultraviolet rays to reach the Earth, increasing the risk of sunburns and skin cancer, it doesn't cause climate change

The ozone hole and global warming are not the same thing, and neither is the main cause of the other. The ozone hole is an area in the stratosphere above Antarctica where chlorine and bromine gases from human-produced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons have destroyed ozone molecules. Global warming is the rise in average global surface temperature caused primarily by the build-up of human-produced greenhouses gases, mostly carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat in the lower levels of the atmosphere.

No. “Global warming” refers to an increase in the average temperature near the Earth's surface. “Climate change” refers to the broader set of changes that go along with global warming, including changes in weather patterns, the oceans, ice and snow, and ecosystems. Most experts now use the term “climate change” because it gives a more complete picture of the changes that are happening around the world. Learn more about climate change.

Ozone affects climate, and climate affects ozone. Temperature, humidity, winds, and the presence of other chemicals in the atmosphere influence ozone formation, and the presence of ozone, in turn, affects those atmospheric constituents.

Interactions between ozone and climate have been subjects of discussion ever since the early 1970s when scientists first suggested that human-produced chemicals could destroy our ozone shield in the upper atmosphere. The discussion intensified in 1985 when atmospheric scientists discovered an ozone “hole” in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) over Antarctica. Today, some scientists are predicting the stratospheric ozone layer will recover to 1980 ozone levels by the year 2050. These scientists say we can expect recovery by that time because most nations have been abiding by international agreements to phase out production of ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons.