UNIT III

Ozone Layer Recovery

The recognition of the dangers presented by chlorine and bromine to the ozone
layer spawned an international effort to restrict the production and the use
of CFCs and other halocarbons. The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances That
Deplete the Ozone Layer began the phaseout of CFCs in 1993 and sought to
achieve a 50 percent reduction in global consumption from 1986 levels by 1998. A
series of amendments to the Montreal Protocol in the following years was designed
to strengthen the controls on CFCs and other halocarbons. By 2005 the consumption
of ozone-depleting chemicals controlled by the agreement had fallen by 90–95
percent in the countries that were parties to the protocol.
During the early 2000s, scientists expected that stratospheric ozone levels would
continue to rise slowly over subsequent decades. Indeed, some scientists contended
that, as levels of reactive chlorine and bromine declined in the stratosphere, the
worst of ozone depletion would pass. Factoring in variations in air temperatures
(which contribute to the size of ozone holes), scientists expected that continued
reductions in chlorine loading would result in smaller ozone holes
above Antarctica (which since 1992 have spanned more than 20.7 million square km
[8 million square miles]) after 2040.
A 2018 United Nations report estimated that the Antarctic ozone hole would close
slowly and stratospheric ozone concentrations would return to 1980 values by the
2060s. The expected increases in ozone would be gradual primarily because of the
long residence times of CFCs and other halocarbons in the atmosphere. Total ozone
levels, as well as the distribution of ozone in the troposphere and stratosphere, would
also depend on other changes in atmospheric composition—for example, changes in
levels of carbon dioxide (which affects temperatures in both the troposphere and the
stratosphere), methane (which affects the levels of reactive hydrogen oxides in the
troposphere and stratosphere that can react with ozone), and nitrous oxide (which
affects levels of nitrogen oxides in the stratosphere that can react with ozone).

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Study the causes of the greenhouse effect and its importance
The greenhouse effect is caused by the atmospheric accumulation of gases such as carbon dioxide
and methane, which contain some of the heat emitted from Earth's surface.
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Scientists in 2014 observed a small increase in stratospheric ozone—the first, they

thought, in more than 20 years—which they attributed to
worldwide compliance with international treaties regarding the phaseout of ozone-
depleting chemicals and to upper stratospheric cooling because of increased carbon
dioxide. Upon more thorough study, however, scientists in 2016 announced that
stratospheric ozone concentrations had actually been increasing in the upper
stratosphere since 2000 while the size of the Antarctic ozone hole had been
decreasing. Overall ozone concentrations away from the poles have continued to fall
since 1998; however, a 2018 study showed that declines in ozone concentrations in
the lower stratosphere contrasted with gains made in the upper stratosphere
between 60° N and 60° S. Another sign of the ozone layer’s recovery occurred in
September 2019, when scientists recorded the smallest ozone hole since 1982
(some 16.3 million square km [6.3 million square miles] at its peak extent) above
Antarctica. (In 1982 the ozone hole’s peak extent was a little less than 16.1 million
square km [6.2 million square miles].)

Since ozone is a greenhouse gas, the breakdown and anticipated recovery of the
ozone layer affects Earth’s climate. Scientific analyses show that the decrease in
stratospheric ozone observed since the 1970s has produced a cooling effect—or,
more accurately, that it has counteracted a small part of the warming that has
resulted from rising concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
during this period. As the ozone layer slowly recovers in the coming decades, this
cooling effect is expected to recede.

global warming: Stratospheric ozone depletion

Since the 1970s the loss of ozone (O 3) from the stratosphere has led to a small
amount of negative radiative forcing of the surface. This negative forcing represents
a competition between two distinct effects caused by the fact that ozone absorbs
solar radiation.…

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 climate: Climate, humans, and human affairs

Air pollution, ozone depletion, acid precipitation, global warming, desertification,

smog production, and deforestation are but a few of the human impacts on the
climate system that arise from the alteration of the mass and energy exchange with
the atmosphere.…

Antarctica: Climate of Antarctica

…annual springtime depletion in stratospheric ozone—the “ozone hole.” Ozone

depletion has been steadily increasing since it was first detected in 1977. Ozone is
destroyed as the result of chemical reactions

Ozone layer, also called ozonosphere, region of the upper atmosphere, between

roughly 15 and 35 km (9 and 22 miles) above Earth’s surface, containing relatively
high concentrations of ozone molecules (O3). Approximately 90 percent of the
atmosphere’s ozone occurs in the stratosphere, the region extending from 10–18 km
(6–11 miles) to approximately 50 km (about 30 miles) above Earth’s surface. In the
stratosphere the temperature of the atmosphere rises with increasing height, a
phenomenon created by the absorption of solar radiation by the ozone layer. The
ozone layer effectively blocks almost all solar radiation of wavelengths less than 290
nanometres from reaching Earth’s surface, including certain types of ultraviolet (UV)
and other forms of radiation that could injure or kill most living things.

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layers of Earth's atmosphere
The layers of Earth's atmosphere, with a yellow line showing the air temperature at various
heights.

Location In Earth’s Atmosphere

In the midlatitudes the peak concentrations of ozone occur at altitudes from 20 to 25

km (about 12 to 16 miles). Peak concentrations are found at altitudes from 26 to 28
km (about 16 to 17 miles) in the tropics and from about 12 to 20 km (about 7 to 12
miles) toward the poles. The lower height of the peak-concentration region in the high
latitudes largely results from poleward and downward atmospheric transport
processes that occur in the middle and high latitudes and the reduced height of the
tropopause (the transition region between the troposphere and stratosphere).

Most of the remaining ozone occurs in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere
that extends from Earth’s surface up to the stratosphere. Near-surface ozone often
results from interactions between certain pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds), strong sunlight, and hot weather. It is one of the primary
ingredients in photochemical smog, a phenomenon that plagues many urban and
suburban areas around the world, especially during the summer months.

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ozone damage on leaf
Ozone damage on the leaf of an English walnut (Juglans regia).

Ozone Creation And Destruction

The production of ozone in the stratosphere results primarily from the breaking of
the chemical bonds within oxygen molecules (O2) by high-energy solar photons. This
process, called photodissociation, results in the release of single oxygen atoms,
which later join with intact oxygen molecules to form ozone. Rising atmospheric
oxygen concentrations some two billion years ago allowed ozone to build up in
Earth’s atmosphere, a process that gradually led to the formation of the stratosphere.
Scientists believe that the formation of the ozone layer played an important role in the
development of life on Earth by screening out lethal levels of UVB radiation
(ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths between 315 and 280 nanometres) and
thus facilitating the migration of life-forms from the oceans to land.

ozone: hole
Changes in the size of the ozone hole from October 1979 to October 1990.

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The amount of ozone in the stratosphere varies naturally throughout the year as a
result of chemical processes that create and destroy ozone molecules and as a result
of winds and other transport processes that move ozone molecules around the
planet. Over the course of several decades, however, human activities substantially
altered the ozone layer. Ozone depletion, the global decrease in stratospheric ozone
observed since the 1970s, is most pronounced in polar regions, and it is well
correlated with the increase of chlorine and bromine in the stratosphere. Those
chemicals, once freed by UV radiation from the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and
other halocarbons (carbon-halogen compounds) that contain them, destroy ozone by
stripping away single oxygen atoms from ozone molecules. Depletion is so extensive
that so-called ozone holes (regions of severely reduced ozone coverage) form over
the poles during the onset of their respective spring seasons. The largest such hole
—which has spanned more than 20.7 million square km (8 million square miles) on a
consistent basis since 1992—appears annually over Antarctica between September
and November.

As the amount of stratospheric ozone declines, more UV radiation reaches Earth’s

surface, and scientists worry that such increases could have significant effects
on ecosystems and human health. The concern over exposure to biologically harmful
levels of UV radiation has been the main driver of the creation of international treaties
such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer and
its amendments, designed to protect Earth’s ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol has
been a success, with some 99 percent of the ozone-depleting chemicals regulated by
the treaty having been phased out since its adoption in 1987. Compliance with
international treaties that phased out the production and delivery of many ozone-
depleting chemicals, combined with upper stratospheric cooling due to
increased carbon dioxide, is thought to have contributed to the shrinking of the ozone
holes over the poles and to slightly higher stratospheric ozone levels overall.
Continued reductions in chlorine loading are expected to result in smaller ozone
holes above Antarctica after 2040. However, some scientists noted that gains in
stratospheric ozone levels have only occurred in the upper stratosphere, with
declines in ozone concentrations in the lower stratosphere outpacing increases in the
upper stratosphere.

Questions related:

What is ozone layer ?

The ozone layer is the common term for the high concentration of ozone that is found in the
stratosphere around 15–30km above the earth's surface. It covers the entire planet and
protects life on earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun.

What is ozone layer short answer?

The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs
most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It contains a high concentration of ozone (O3)
in relation to other parts of the atmosphere, although still small in relation to other
gases in the stratosphere.

What is the ozone layer and what is its purpose?

Most ozone resides in the stratosphere (a layer of the atmosphere between 10 and
40 km above us), where it acts as a shield to protect Earth's surface from the sun's

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harmful ultraviolet radiation. With a weakening of this shield, we would be more
susceptible to skin cancer, cataracts and impaired immune systems.
Is the ozone layer harmful to humans?
Ozone layer depletion causes increased UV radiation levels at the Earth's surface,
which is damaging to human health. Negative effects include increases in certain
types of skin cancers, eye cataracts and immune deficiency disorders.

How ozone layer is formed?

Ozone is naturally produced in the stratosphere by a two- step reactive process. In
the first step, solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) breaks apart an oxygen molecule
to form two separate oxygen atoms. ... In the over- all process, three oxygen
molecules plus sunlight react to form two ozone molecules.

How is ozone layer important for us?

Why is Ozone Layer important? Ozone protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet
(UV) rays from the Sun. Without the Ozone layer in the atmosphere, life on Earth
would be very difficult. Plants cannot live and grow in heavy ultraviolet radiation, nor
can the planktons that serve as food for most of the ocean life.

Where is ozone layer located?

stratosphere
Additional Information. Most atmospheric ozone is concentrated in a layer in the
stratosphere, about 9 to 18 miles (15 to 30 km) above the Earth's surface (see the
figure below). Ozone is a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms.

How old is the ozone layer?

600 million years
The amount of ozone required to shield Earth from biologically lethal UV radiation,
wavelengths from 200 to 300 nanometers (nm), is believed to have been in
existence 600 million years ago

What is ozone layer depletion in short?

“Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth's ozone layer in the
upper atmosphere caused due to the release of chemical compounds containing
gaseous bromine or chlorine from industries or other human activities.”

What is ozone layer depletion and its effects?

Ozone layer depletion increases the amount of UVB that reaches the Earth's
surface. Laboratory and epidemiological studies demonstrate that UVB causes non-
melanoma skin cancer and plays a major role in malignant melanoma development.

What are the main causes of ozone layer depletion?

Human activities cause ozone depletion and global warming

Ozone depletion occurs when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons—gases

formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants—are released into the
atmosphere (see details below)

How can we prevent depletion of ozone layer?

How can we protect the ozone layer?
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 1. Avoid the consumption of gases dangerous to the ozone layer, due to their
content or manufacturing process. ...
2. Minimize the use of cars. ...
3. Do not use cleaning products that are harmful to the environment and to us. ...
4. Buy local products.

How ozone layer is formed?

Ozone is naturally produced in the stratosphere by a two- step reactive process. In
the first step, solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) breaks apart an oxygen molecule
to form two separate oxygen atoms. ... In the over- all process, three oxygen
molecules plus sunlight react to form two ozone molecules.

Why is ozone layer important?

Although it represents only a tiny fraction of the atmosphere, ozone is crucial for life
on Earth. ... Most ozone resides in the stratosphere (a layer of the atmosphere
between 10 and 40 km above us), where it acts as a shield to protect Earth's surface
from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.

How do humans affect the ozone layer?

gases. Human activities cause the emission of halogen source gases that contain
chlorine and bromine atoms. These emissions into the atmosphere ultimately lead to
stratospheric ozone depletion. ... Because of these uses, halons are often directly
released into the atmosphere.

What chemicals can destroy the ozone layer?

What are ozone depleting substances?
 chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 halon.
 carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)
 methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3)
 hydrobromofluorocarbons
(HBFCs)
 hydrochlorofluorocarbons (H
CFCs)
 methyl bromide (CH3Br)
 bromochloromethane (CH2BrCl)

Where is the ozone layer?

What is the ozone layer? The ozone layer is the common term for the high
concentration of ozone that is found in the stratosphere between 15 and 30km above
the earth's surface. It covers the entire planet and protects life on earth by absorbing
harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun.

How the ozone layer is healing?

The ozone layer is slowly healing. ... According to the latest Scientific Assessment
of Ozone Depletion, completed in 2018, portions of the ozone layer have recovered
at a rate of 1% to 3% per decade since 2000. At this rate, Northern Hemisphere and
mid-latitude ozone are likely to recover completely in the next ten years.