Ozone Depletion

The depletion of the ozone layer is a major concern today. The ozone layer protects us from the harmful rays of the sun; therefore it is imperative that we preserve it. Since more pollutants are produced today than ever before (because of the major increase in the population), there is a major concern that we create less pollutants to help conserve the ozone layer. In this research paper I will give vital information on how pollution affects the ozone layer and methods instituted to help the ozone layer. In this research paper you will also find out what the ozone layer actually is and the parts that it is composed of. The Earth's atmosphere is divided into several layers.

Ozone is a gas that is present in the ozone layer in the stratosphere of the Earth. There, it will absorb almost all ultraviolet light which is harmful to many organisms. The term Ozone depletion can refer to a number of distinct, but related phenomena:

• Since about the 1970s, there has been a decrease in total volume of the Ozone in the ozone layer, of about 4%, per decade.
• There are seasonal variations in the ozone layers; in springtime, there is less ozone in the ozone layer over the Polar Regions, esp. the South Pole. This is generally known as ozone hole.
• In addition to these well-known stratospheric phenomena, there are also springtime polar troposphere ozone depletion events.

The details of polar ozone whole formation differ from that of mid-latitude thinning, but the most important process in both is catalytic destruction of ozone by atomic halogens. The main source of these halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photo dissociation of man-made halocarbon refrigerants. These compounds are transported into the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface. Both types of ozone depletion were observed to increase as emissions of Halocarbons increased.