Ozone layer

Hi everyone,

What even is ozone? And the ozone layer? Where does the hole in the ozone layer come from and what does it mean? Is it dangerous? What can be done?

Often the ozone-talk can be complicated and confusing, keeping an overview is hard and understanding all the problems always difficult. Let us break it down a bit for you:

What is the ozone layer?

We'll start with the basics: The ozone layer is part of the stratosphere, which is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, between 10 and 50 km above the Earth's surface and made up of protective gases. One of these protective gases is ozone. There is not much ozone in the atmosphere, only 0.3 molecule of ozone per 1 million molecules of air. This is because ozone is chemically unstable and only forms when ultra violet radiation (UV light) hits oxygen and breaks the bonds between the atoms. It fact it is so unstable that even when it has formed, it breaks down again relatively quickly. This leads to ozone turning back into "normal" oxygen (two oxygen atoms, O2) and then reforming back into ozone (three oxygen atoms O3) in a continuous cycle. The reason why ozone doesn't naturally form closer to the Earth's surface is that there isn't enough UV light here to break the very stabile bond between within normal oxygen molecules. Because of this even in the ozone layer, ozone is still quite rare compared to other gases: only around 10 ozone molecules per million.

What does it do?

Despite ozone being so rare, it is indispensable. This is because the ozone layer acts a bit like a shield from the sun's UV radiation. This radiation causes sunburns and skin irritation, but also cancers and premature aging. But remember how ozone needs the UV radiation in order to form? It actually absorbs the UV radiation in the process of forming new chemical bonds. And because the ozone is constantly reforming this happens continuously, allowing the ozone layer to absorb up to 99% of the UV radiation from the sun. This allows for life to thrive on the Earth's surface, although don't forget to use sunscreen, because the ozone layer doesn't stop all of the UV radiation.

Is it in danger?

We've all heard of ozone holes before. But what does that actually mean? From the 1970s onwards, scientists have been worried about the human effects on the ozone layer, especially considering how important it is. More specifically, they are worried about chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are chemicals found in many plastic products. For a while, they seemed like a miracle material as they are cheap to produce and are neither poisonous nor flammable. However it was soon discovered that they damage the ozone layer if they're emitted into the atmosphere. They mess up the cycle of ozone breaking down and reforming. More specifically: when the ozone breaks down, it becomes oxygen (O2) and the CFCs then form chemical bonds with the oxygen, preventing it from reforming back into ozone (O3). Over time, this means that less and less ozone is able to form. Luckily, since the 1970s many CFCs have been banned around the world because of this. In fact, the ozone layer is the only aspect on the planetary boundary model that we have made positive progress on.

However this doesn't mean that everything's completely fine. There is currently a huge ozone hole over Antarctica, which is twice the size of mainland Antarctica! Now an ozone hole isn't an actual hole in the ozone layer, it's just means that the ozone layer is a lot thinner in that area. But it is still quite dangerous, especially in concerns of sunburns and skin cancers. The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has improved the condition of the ozone layer a lot, but the problem is not entirely solved. Some natural disasters are capable of changing the ozone layer as well. For example, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption in 2022 reduced the ozone layer by up to 7% in some areas of the Southern Hemisphere, because it released 35 million tons of water vapour into the atmosphere, which then reacted with the ozone.

We hope you found this post about the ozone layer interesting, and will be back with a new post next Saturday.

Your Green World Blog Team💚

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231121175239.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231120170922.htm

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ozone-layer/

Image:

“Snapshot of the Antarctic Ozone Hole 2010”, owned by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Comments

16.08.2020 Animal of the week: Elephant

Hello. On the 12th of August it was International Elephant Day, so we decided that this week's post should be about elephants. Elephants are the largest living land mammals. There are three types of elephant; the African bush elephant; the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. African elephants have larger ears, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears. Elephants use their trunks to breath, bring food and drink to their mouths and to grasp objects. Elephants' legs are like pillars. They carry the Elephant's massive weight. African bush elephants weigh 6000kg, Asian elephants weigh 4000kg and African forest elephants weigh 2700kg. Basically, they are very heavy.Elephants eat grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Elephants can live up to 70 years old in the wild. They communicate by sight, touch and smell. Sadly, these wonderful mammals are in danger. African elephants are listed as vulne

Why Don't People Switch To Electric Cars? || Green World Blog

Hi Everyone! The previous post in this series really blew up, so thank you so much for your support on that one. In this article, I wanted to discuss why people are not switching to electric cars, and why the transport industry still has a way to go in terms of reaching net zero. If you missed the first part of this post, then click here to read it! ! I talked in the post linked above, about why people should switch to electric cars, while also taking into account the potential issues with them, and coming to a conclusion about should everyone switch to electric cars. In this post, I wanted to delve further into the topic of why people don't switch to electric cars. The cost is one of the main issues at the moment. To own an electric car, you need a reliable electricity supply, which is not readily available for everyone in the developing world, let alone the cost of buying the vehicle in the first place. The cost of the vehicle coul

April 2021 Factfile - some news from the past month and animals that you voted for

Hi Everyone! In this factfile we are bringing you some more news from the past month, animals you voted for, an exciting announcement and more! News: The Guardian reports that 'the new research shows that since the 1990s, the loss of hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice a year into the oceans resulting from the climate crisis has caused the poles to move in new directions.' Previously, the poles could only move due to ocean currents and other natural factors. Apparently, glacial losses accounted for most of the change but some were also due to the pumping of groundwater which once pumped up by humans isn't replaced. This shows just how much climate change is having an impact on our beautiful planet. You may have heard about M&S's plans to release 30 million honey bees to the countryside. It has faced many complaints from experts saying that this could damage the balance of natural pollinators. It is important t

Animals 41 - 45 in our '50 incredible animals' series

Hi everyone, 41. Ghost shark So first of all, this is a real animal and not a horror movie! Ghost sharks, often referred to as chimaeras, include around 50 species. They mostly live in the deep ocean and are seldom seen, hence the name. They can be found all over the world. Some species have a large range, for example, the rabbit fish which inhabits the entire northern Atlantic Ocean, or a small range, like the Galapagos Ghost shark which only lives in the waters around the Galapagos . Not much is known considering their population status however they are currently not considered threatened. It is assumed that they reproduce in the same way as most sharks. Not much else is known about ghost sharks. They are as mysterious as their name suggests! 42. Sea pig Again, this is a real animal! But it is not in any way like a pig (I have no idea why they called it a sea pig ). It is a type of sea cucumber, that lives in the ocean depths. Their bodies are fille

Top tips for Christmas

Hello everyone, This post is all about how to help the environment over Christmas. 1. Try not to travel massive distances by plane Christmas is the time of the year to get the whole family together, not go on holiday. Enjoy the environment around you, talk to the friends and neighbours that you normally talk to, you don't need to fly half way aroudn the globe for just one week. Of course, if you are travelling to visit family this doesn't really count. 2. Christmas trees; Most people buy a new Christmas tree every year and then throw it away in January. The more environmentally friendly option is to buy a small Christmas tree in a pot and put it out in the garden and let it grow for the rest of the year and then bring it in again next Christmas. There are quite a few advantages when doing this. 1. Planted trees don't drop loads of needles. 2. It saves money because you don't have to pay for a new tree every year. 3. It saves t

Eco system Galápagos: Part 1 Geography

Hello and welcome to the first post about the Galapagos Islands. Currents and Winds The volcanic islands of Galápagos started to form 4 million years ago. Where they lie, is unique. They are situated directly on the equator, on the Nazca tectonic plate. The Galapagos Islands are on the crossroads of three currents. The cold South Equatorial Current flows westward towards Galapagos. The warm Panama Current runs in from the north. And finally, the deep sea Cromwell Current runs from the west. The Galapagos Islands are also where the Northeast Trade Wind meets the Southeast Trade Wind. Galapagos Hotspot 21 Volcanoes make up the Galápagos Islands with 13 still active. The reason for this volcanic activity is a giant hotspot under the island. A hotspot is a gigantic column of super heated molten lava, rising up towards the surface. It is immense; at least sixty miles (97 kilometers) across and 1800 miles (2897 kilometers) deep. It connects the islands to

Major ocean currents and how they affect global temperatures

Hi everyone, This week we're talking about ocean currents. Ocean currents are part of the ocean's circulation system and influence local and global weather patterns. They are produced by gravity, differences in water density, winds on the ocean surface and Earth's rotation on its own axis. They cause the movements and exchanges of different ocean properties such as salinity, temperature and nutrients. Ocean currents can flow at speeds of up to 4m per second however most flow at speeds between 5cm and 50cm per second. Weather patterns and ocean currents constantly influence one another. Ocean currents follow similar paths as global wind do, transferring heat from the equator to polar regions. They create and influence ecosystems worldwide, especially marine ones. However they also spread plastics and microplastics around the world far from their original source. This system of ocean currents is often referred to as a global conveyor belt. Today w

Killing invasive species: necessary?

Hi everyone, Today's topic is a rather controversial one: is killing invasive species necessary? We'll take it apart for you to come up with your own opinion. Enjoy! Definition Firstly, let's clarify what an invasive species is. An invasive species is a species that is not native and most likely causes harm to the ecosystem where it now lives. This does not include animals that migrate to another area. Why is it a problem? Depending on the species and the ecosystem, invasive species can cause a lot of harm to their surroundings. Often invasive species have no predators in their new habitat and reproduce in such large numbers that they massively overpopulate, causing death for other species. Or they bring sicknesses the local animals are not accustomed to, and that kills them. For example black and brown rats are an invasive species on the Galapagos Islands : Black and brown rats were introduced to the Galapagos Islands in the 17th ce

Green World

Search This Blog