Ozone Layer Depletion

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

"A giant asteroid could hit the earth! Something else

could happen! The global temperature could rise!

Wakeup!"(edf.org)

Science is a body of knowledge containing various

streams such as physics, chemistry, biology etc. "Its

sub-behavioral concept is Technology, which has made

tremendous changes in the modernized world. Climate is

a field of the science. Climate is a natural

consequence in which all the human beings

exist."(Technology and Environment page 25). "The

first thing people see, in the morning, when they walk

outside is the sky or the colored sun. Is this world

giving us the privilege of seeing the natural colors

of the sun through all the layers of pollution within

the air?"

A blanket of air, which we call the atmosphere,

surrounds the Earth. It reaches over 560 kilometers

(348 miles) from the surface of the Earth, so we are

only able to see what occurs fairly close to the

ground. Early attempts at studying the nature of the

atmosphere used clues from the weather, the beautiful

multi-colored sunsets and sunrises, and the twinkling

of stars. With the use of sensitive instruments from

space, we are able to get a better view of the

functioning of our atmosphere. "The atmosphere, solar

energy, and our planet's magnetic fields support life

on Earth. The atmosphere absorbs the energy from the

Sun, recycles water and other chemicals, and works

with the electrical and magnetic forces to provide a

moderate climate. The atmosphere also protects us from

high-energy radiation and the frigid vacuum of space.

The envelope of gas surrounding the Earth changes from

the ground up. Four distinct layers have been

identified using thermal characteristics (temperature

changes), chemical composition, movement, and density.

That comprises of Troposphere, Stratosphere,

Mesosphere and atmosphere. The atmosphere is

primarily composed of Nitrogen (N2, 78%), Oxygen (O2,

21%), and Argon (AR, 1%). Argon includes all the other

gases present in the atmosphere.A myriad of other very

influential components are also present which include

the water (H2O, 0 - 7%), "greenhouse" gases or Ozone

(O<SUB3, 0 - 0.01%), Carbon Dioxide (CO2, 0.01-0.1%),

The envelope of gas surrounding the Earth changes from

the ground up."(Climate of Hope, p.p.25~63)

Now, the interesting fact is the information of a

layer of atmosphere, which surrounds our atmosphere.

"Orbiting above the Earth, an astronaut can look down

on our home and see the thin blue ribbon that rims our

planet. That transparent blanket in our atmosphere

makes life possible." Yes, It is the Ozone Layer. It

provides the air we breathe and regulates our global

temperature. And it contains a special ingredient

called ozone that filters the solar radiation. Life as

we know it is possible in part because of the

protection afforded by the ozone layer.. The term

itself comes from the Greek word meaning "smell," a

reference to ozone's distinctively pungent odor. "Each

molecule contains three oxygen atoms bonded together

in the shape of a wide triangle. In the stratosphere,

new ozone molecules are constantly created in chemical

reactions fueled by power from the sun. The recipe for

making ozone starts off with oxygen molecules. When

struck by the sun's rays, the molecule split apart

into single oxygen atoms, which are exceedingly

reactive. Within a fraction of a second, the atoms

bond with nearby oxygen molecules to form triatomic

molecules of ozone"(Climate Change).

"Ozone is an allotrope of Oxygen. Allotropes are two

or more forms of an element with different chemical

and physical properties. Molecules of diatomic oxygen,

the form of oxygen with which most the people are

familiar, contain two atoms each, as shown the formula

O2. In contrast, molecules of ozone contain three

atoms each and are represented by the formula

O3."(Kelvin, page 46). Both oxygen produces ozone and

anthropogenic (human caused) sources. In the

troposphere the layer of atmosphere