Can we plug the hole in the ozone layer?
The stratosphere — the layer of our atmosphere just above the one we breathe — includes a thin layer of ozone. This layer is thicker over the poles than the equator. It might seem insignificant compared to the depth of the rest of the atmosphere, but it does a very important job. It prevents much of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light from reaching the Earth. UV light can cause skin cancer, cataracts and other disorders. Ozone protects us from the sun by interacting with light. When ultraviolet light hits oxygen molecules (O2) in the stratosphere, it splits the molecules into two atoms of oxygen (O). When this atom encounters another oxygen molecule, the two combine to make ozone (O3). Ultraviolet light also breaks ozone back down into an oxygen molecule and an oxygen atom. Check out this animation from NASA to see how this works. This process is called the oz
Can we plug the hole in the ozone layer? The stratosphere — the layer of our atmosphere just above the one we breathe — includes a thin layer of ozone. This layer is thicker over the poles than the equator. It might seem insignificant compared to the depth of the rest of the atmosphere, but it does a very important job. It prevents much of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light from reaching the Earth. UV light can cause skin cancer, cataracts and other disorders. Ozone protects us from the sun by interacting with light. When ultraviolet light hits oxygen molecules (O2) in the stratosphere, it splits the molecules into two atoms of oxygen (O). When this atom encounters another oxygen molecule, the two combine to make ozone (O3). Ultraviolet light also breaks ozone back down into an oxygen molecule and an oxygen atom. Check out this animation from NASA to see how
