noun. any part of the ozone layer that has become depleted by atmospheric pollution, resulting in excess ultraviolet radiation passing through the atmosphere.
What is the ozone hole and why does it form?
The severe depletion of the Antarctic ozone layer known as the “ozone hole” occurs because of the special atmospheric and chemical conditions that exist there and nowhere else on the globe. The very low winter temperatures in the Antarctic stratosphere cause polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) to form.
What is the ozone hole and what are its effects?
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. … UV rays also affect plant growth, reducing agricultural productivity.
Which gas is destroying the ozone layer?
Ozone Depletion. When chlorine and bromine atoms come into contact with ozone in the stratosphere, they destroy ozone molecules. One chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed from the stratosphere. Ozone can be destroyed more quickly than it is naturally created.
What causes the ozone hole?
The ozone hole has developed because people have polluted the atmosphere with chemicals containing chlorine and bromine. … Once released from CFCs, chlorine (Cl) then reacts with ozone (O3) to form ClO and O2. ClO quickly breaks down to release the Cl atom which can repeat the process with another O3 molecule.
Why the ozone hole is over Antarctica?
In the Southern Hemisphere, the South Pole is part of avery large land mass (Antarctica) that is completely surrounded by ocean. … This chlorine and bromine activation then leads to rapid ozone loss when sunlight returns to Antarctica in September and October of each year, which then results in the Antarctic ozone hole.
How ozone is depleted?
Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are the main cause of ozone layer depletion. These are released by solvents, spray aerosols, refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc. The molecules of chlorofluorocarbons in the stratosphere are broken down by the ultraviolet radiations and release chlorine atoms.
Where is ozone hole found?
Recently, scientists discovered a weak spot in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Satellite observations have confirmed a progressive deterioration in the Earth’s protective ozone layer above Antarctica, according to scientists…
What is ozone hole Class 8?
Ozone holes can be termed as the depletion of the ozone layer which is present in the upper atmosphere i.e. stratosphere at the polar region of earth. The ozone hole doesn’t stop the radiation which is harmful to living things on earth and causes harmful effects such as health problems like skin cancer and eye damages.
Do we still have a hole in the ozone layer?
The 2020 Antarctic ozone hole grew rapidly from mid-August and peaked at around 24.8 million square kilometres on 20 September 2020, spreading over most of the Antarctic continent. … There is still enough ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere to cause ozone depletion on an annual basis,” said Dr Tarasova.
What are 3 causes of depletion to the ozone layer?
The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is manufactured chemicals, especially manufactured halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants, and foam- blowing agents (chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, halons).
What type of ozone is bad?
Stratospheric ozone is “good” because it protects living things from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ground-level ozone, the topic of this website, is “bad” because it can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma.
Can we make ozone layer?
Actually, it’s really easy to make ozone. Ozone is produced naturally when sunlight shines on air. It is produced by a chemical reaction in which several molecules of oxygen react with each other. … So during the winter there is ozone being destroyed but not being made, making a temporary “hole” in the ozone layer.
Why 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. … With a weakening of the Ozone Layer shield, humans would be more susceptible to skin cancer, cataracts and impaired immune systems.
How do humans destroy the ozone layer?
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. The source gases that con- tain only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine are called “chlo- rofluorocarbons,” usually abbreviated as CFCs.
What is the hottest layer of the atmosphere?
The thermosphere is often considered the “hot layer” because it contains the warmest temperatures in the atmosphere. Temperature increases with height until the estimated top of the thermosphere at 500 km. Temperatures can reach as high as 2000 K or 1727 ºC in this layer (Wallace and Hobbs 24).
Who invented ozone layer?
The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson.
Which country has the biggest hole in the ozone layer?
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the ozone layer hole over Antarctica is one of the largest and deepest in the past 15 years. The hole peaked at 24 million square kilometers (approximately 9.3 million square miles).
What time of year is the ozone hole the largest?
The 2020 Arctic ozone hole was also very large and deep, and peaked at roughly three times the size of the continental US. The Antarctic ozone hole usually reaches its peak between mid-September and mid-October.
How big was the ozone hole in 1985?
The maximum depth of the hole that year was 194 Dobson Units (DU)—not far below the previous historical low. For several years, the minimum concentrations stayed in the 190s, but then the minimums rapidly grew deeper: 173 DU in 1982, 154 in 1983, 124 in 1985.
Why does the ozone hole form in spring?
The very low winter temperatures in the Antarctic stratosphere cause polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) to form. Special reactions that occur on PSCs, combined with the isolation of polar stratospheric air in the polar vortex, allow chlorine and bromine reactions to produce the ozone hole in Antarctic springtime.
What is the ozone gas around the Earth called?
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).
Is there a hole in the ozone layer above Australia?
The ozone layer is depleted in two ways. Firstly, the ozone layer in the mid-latitude (e.g. over Australia) is thinned, leading to more UV radiation reaching the earth. … Secondly, the ozone layer over the Antarctic, and to a lesser extent the Arctic, is dramatically thinned in spring, leading to an ‘ozone hole’.