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They form a layer called ozone layer which is found in the stratosphere.
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∙ 9y ago
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How does oxygen stay in the ozone layer?
Oxygen diffuses in and out of the ozone layer, and ozone decays back to oxygen. So any oxygen lost is made up... usually from the troposphere (and its nearby plants).
What are some hazards to the ozone layer?
The man-made gases of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). Chlorines and bromines from these gases stay in the atmosphere for years, destroying ozone molecules. This allows the sun's dangerous ultra violet (UV) radiation to reach earth, causing human cancers and damage to crops.
How can you prevent depletion of the ozone layer?
The ozone layer is no longer being damaged. CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) used in aerosols and fridges during the 20th century damaged the ozone layer and these chemicals will stay in the atmosphere for another 50 years. The 1987 Montreal Agreement meant that all countries in the world agreed to stop using these chemicals. The ozone layer should have repaired itself by 2060.
Is the ozone layer breaking up because temperatures are increasing?
No, the ozone layer has been breaking up because of man made gases (CFCs) in the atmosphere. The chlorine in those gases attacks and destroys ozone. These gases, which can stay in the atmosphere for up to 75 years, are no longer emitted. Scientists hope that the ozone layer will be restored by 2060.
How long does ozone stay in the atmosphere?
Ozone is a very unstable molecule. The energy required of formation of ozone is much greater than the reverse process that is the formation of oxygen and nascent oxygen. However there is an ongoing process of formation as well as depletion in the ozone layer which makes its concentration in the ozone layer constant. However due to the CFC's the rate of depletion is increasing thus creating an ozone hole in the ozone layer.
How CFC's destroy ozone molecules?
There is no limit to the number of ozone molecules the chlorine from a CFC molecule can destroy, or how long it will stay "up there". Over time, chlorine will find something else to bond to and leave the ozone layer. The hope is that once we stop delivering such compounds to the atmosphere, that can eventually happen. Right now estimations vary from 1 : 10,000 to 1 : 1,000,000 before it leaves the ozone layer. Chlorine from CFCs are photo-excited into acting like catalysts. Catalysts participate in a reaction (such as the decay of ozone), but are unchanged when the reaction is carried to completion. So the only way for the effect of chlorine to be dissipated is by competing reactions that take it out of the area and / or change its nature to be unreactive or one-time reactive. Chlorine is a catalyst for ozone destruction. It is restored to it initial state once it has completed its reaction, so it can destroy ozone molecules again. Until some other competing process ties CFC up in some more permanent way, it will keep destroying ozone. It should be noted that most chlorine in the atmosphere is not from CFC's, but from naturally occurring water vapor off of our oceans. So there is no "hard coded" limit to its ozone destructive capabilities. We just have to wait until it is removed by time.
Why does the amount of ozone stay constant?
It doesn't. The ozone in the upper atmosphere screens out most of the ultraviolet radiation that reaches us from the sun, protecting life on earth from its harmful effects. However, by the 1980s, the amount of ozone in the upper atmosphere had fallen to such a dangerously low level that a hole in the ozone layer had opened up over most of the continent of Antarctica. The reduction in ozone levels was shown to be caused by the manufacture and use of certain gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons, in airconditioning units and refrigerators. When released into the atmosphere, these gases combined with the atmospheric ozone, reducing the natural level. Urgent action was undertaken by governments around the world, to ban the manufacture of these gases. Only now are atmospheric levels of ozone beginning to return to normal.
What wavelengths of light does the Ozone layer protect us from?
The ozone layer protects us from excess ultraviolet light. Enough still gets through to cause cancer if we stay outside and get bad sunburns.
What happens to the ozone molecules when they are absorbed?
Ozone molecules that absorb UV-B or more energetic light break apart, usually into an oxygen molecule and an oxygen atom. Sometimes the oxygen atom can recombine to form ozone again... if no competing reactions get to it first. Not sure what you had in mind about "something" absorbing ozone molecules... any chemical that ozone interacts with, gains the extra oxygen atom, leaving the oxygen molecule to go do something else. Even oxidizing elemental sulfur (or H2S), each oxygen atom consumed into the final molecule, breaks down one ozone molecule.
Why is the ozone layer surrounding the earth so important to us?
Ozone layer acts as an absorbent and absorbs the harmful UV radiations. It even helps to keep the earth warm. So is an important layer which helps us to stay away from the radiations, it minimizes heath defects.
Can the ozone layer heal itself?
Ozone is continually made and destroyed by the Sun. If we'll quit messing with it by making inert molecules with chlorine or bromine, and stop dumping large quantities of water vapor at high altitude, the ozone layer will recover.It will still have an ozone hole, once a year, when it is late winter / early spring at a pole. That's Nature.
Whychlorofluorocarbons are considered to be among the worst pollutants?
they stay up there for around 100 years before decaying, and they deplete the ozone layer which is important for life on earth (ozone depletion = global warming)
