Facts about the ozone... and information you do not know about the ozone layer that protects life on Earth

Weather of Arabia - The ozone layer is known for its importance in protecting life on Earth, but what is the truth about this layer? What is its component ozone?

Facts about ozone

1. Ozone is a pale blue gas made up of triatomic molecules, which are oxygen atoms (O3).

2. Ozone is present in its gaseous form in low concentrations throughout the Earth's atmosphere, but it is present in high concentration in the upper layer of the atmosphere (the stratosphere).

3. Ozone is sometimes formed near the Earth's surface as a result of interactions between some pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds), strong sunlight, and hot weather.

4. Near-surface ozone is one of the main components of chemical smog, a phenomenon that affects many urban areas around the world, especially during the summer months.

5. Ozone is a poisonous gas for humans and can damage the lungs when inhaled, so it is harmful when it is near the surface of the earth.

6. Ozone was discovered as a new substance in air in 1840, and was named (before its chemical nature was known), after the Greek word (Ozein) which means "smell" because the gas has a distinct and sharp odor similar to chlorine, which can sometimes be observed after storms Thunder in which lightning abounds. The composition of ozone was determined in 1865.

Information about the ozone layer

1. The ozone layer is a region of the Earth's upper atmosphere, located within the stratosphere, at an altitude of between 15 and 35 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

(The location of the ozone layer in relation to the layers of the Earth's atmosphere)

2. The ozone layer contains relatively high concentrations of ozone molecules (O3), approximately 90% of the ozone in the Earth's atmosphere is in the stratosphere. It is an area that extends from 10 or 18 km to nearly 50 km above the earth's surface.

3. The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas that blocks almost all solar radiation with wavelengths less than 290 nanometers from reaching the Earth's surface, including certain types of ultraviolet rays and other forms of radiation that can harm or kill most organisms live on earth.

4. The ozone layer in the atmosphere was discovered by the French physicist Charles Fabri in cooperation with the physicist Henri Poisson in 1913, by exploring that the ozone compound has the ability to absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun, by setting standards for spectroscopy, and using special devices to measure The wavelengths of light.

5. Ozone in the stratosphere is mainly caused by the breaking of chemical bonds within oxygen molecules (O2) by high-energy solar photons (photodissociation) resulting in the release of single oxygen atoms, which later join binary oxygen molecules to form ozone.

6. Rising oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere about two billion years ago allowed ozone to accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere, a process that gradually led to the formation of the ozone layer in the stratosphere. The formation of the ozone layer played an important role in the evolution of life on Earth by blocking dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation violet to the sun.

7. The ozone layer is of great importance in protecting the human skin from harmful rays that cause cancer, and protecting the eyes from health damages such as cataracts. The ozone layer also maintains plant life and continuity, as plants cannot live in the presence of ultraviolet rays, and the ozone layer protects animals from ultraviolet rays, which also destroys the DNA of the animal, in addition to the role of the ozone layer in maintaining nutritional balance through Protect the life of plankton which is a staple food for most marine organisms.

8. The amount of ozone in the stratosphere varies naturally throughout the year with the cycle of the sun and the succession of the seasons, as a result of the different chemical processes that create and destroy ozone molecules, in addition to changing winds and other transport processes that move ozone molecules around the planet.

9. Over the course of several decades, human activities have greatly altered the ozone layer and led to the depletion of ozone and a decrease in its concentration, especially over the polar regions.

10. Some man-made chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halocarbons (carbon and halogen compounds), destroy ozone by stripping individual oxygen atoms from ozone molecules.

11. The ozone depletion has led to the so-called ozone hole over Antarctica, an area where the ozone layer is thinning, meaning the concentration of ozone molecules drops dramatically, which appears annually between September and November.

12. As the amount of ozone in the stratosphere decreases, more ultraviolet radiation reaches the Earth's surface, which has major impacts on ecosystems and human health, and this was the main driver for the creation of international treaties such as the Montreal Protocol designed to protect the Earth's ozone layer and deal with substances that deplete the stratosphere. ozone, .

13. The Montreal Protocol has been successful in phasing out about 99% of ozone-depleting chemicals since the treaty was adopted in 1987, resulting in improved stratospheric ozone levels, and continued reductions of these chemicals are expected to improve the ozone hole over Antarctica. after 2040.

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