What is the ozone hole?
147782
Ozone depletion describes the observed loss of ozone in the stratosphere over the past 50 years. It encompasses both a steady thinning of the ozone layer at mid-latitudes and its catastrophic springtime collapse at the poles, often called the ozone hole. In both cases, the proximate cause is catalytic destruction of ozone by atomic chlorine and bromine. The source of the halogen atoms is photodissociation of Freon and Halon molecules transported into the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface. The detailed mechanism by which the ozone hole forms is different from that for the mid-latitude thinning. Finally, people often confuse tropospheric ozone with stratospheric ozone. These are completely different problems with different causes, effects and solutions.
768729
This is an interesting but certainly not simple question. Ozone is formed naturally in the stratosphere as O2 molecules absorb UV light and break down to O radicals. These O radicals then react with O2 molecules and collide with another third body to remove excess energy to form O3 molecule.\n\nO2 + hv → 2 O\nO + O2 +M → O3 + M\n\nThese O3 molecules in the stratosphere is considered as our friend because they absorb most of the harmful UV radiation so that we will not be exposed to that. \n\nMore and more studies have shown that our stratospheric ozone is decreasing. This is due to the CFCs that we used long time ago. These CFCs was used heavily long time ago because of its high vapor pressure property. For example, it can be used as fire extinguishants, propellants, and solvents. One problem about these molecules is that they are very non-reactive in the lower atmosphere. As a result, they accumulate in the atmosphere and until they diffuse to the upper atmosphere, where the strong UV can break them down. As these CFCs react with strong UV and form Cl radicals, these Cl radicals undergo a "chain reaction" to destroy our ozone. As you may imagine from the name, each Cl radicals can effectively destroy many ozone molecules before it reacts with something else and be removed. So, only a very small amount is enough to destroy lots of ozone. CFCs have been banned long time ago, but because of its non-reactive property, the ozone hole problem that we are having today is caused by yesterday's CFCs.\n\nOzone in the lower troposphere, on the other hand, is considered as pollutants. It is because these ozone can react with many hydrocarbon in the presence of sunlight to generate smog (which is also called photochemical smog because they are generated in the presence of solar radiation). These smog not only reduce our visibility, they also irritate our respiratory systems. High concentration of ozone can also cause lots of damage to vegetation.\n\nThese lower tropospheric ozone is formed mostly due to reaction of NOx (NO and NO2) with sunlight in the presence of some hydrocarbons. As you may know, the vehicle emission contains lots of NOx, which is one of the reason for causing the tropospheric ozone.
401188
All fossil fuels exhaust gasses and these gasses deplete our ozone layer...this protetive layer between us and space.The ozone layer filters the suns radiation on us. The holes created by gasses allow the suns radiation to burn and expose heat to the ice up north (polar-caps) and to our skin...the planet is warming more then before. Our fears are skin cancer and flooding or cooling water causing current changes and weather disasters. I hope this helps
1051160
troposphere: From the Greek word "tropos" meaning to turn or mix. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere starting at the surface going up to between 7 km at the poles and 17 km at the equator with some variation due to weather factors. The troposphere has a great deal of vertical mixing due to solar heating at the surface. This heating warms air masses, which then rise to release latent heat as sensible heat that further buoys the air mass. This process continues until all water vapor is removed. In the troposphere, on average, temperature decreases with height due to expansive cooling. \n\nstratosphere: from that 7–17 km range to about 50 km, temperature increasing with height. \n\nmesosphere: from about 50 km to the range of 80 km to 85 km, temperature decreasing with height. \n\nthermosphere: from 80–85 km to 640+ km, temperature increasing with height. \n\nThe boundaries between these regions are named the tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause.\n\nAtmospheric regions are also named in other ways:\n\nionosphere – the region containing ions: approximately the mesosphere and thermosphere up to 550 km. \n\nexosphere – above the ionosphere, where the atmosphere thins out into space. This is the last major atmosphere. (“Exo” means “outside” in Greek.) \n\nmagnetosphere – the region where the Earth's magnetic field interacts with the solar wind from the Sun. It extends for tens of thousands of kilometers, with a long tail away from the Sun. \n\nozone layer – or ozonosphere, approximately 10 - 50 km, where stratospheric ozone is found. Note that even within this region, ozone is a minor constituent by volume. \n\nupper atmosphere – the region of the atmosphere above the mesopause. \n\nVan Allen radiation belts – regions where particles from the Sun become concentrated.
752901
As the ozone layer is depleted, the protective filter activity of the atmosphere is reduced and more UV radiation, in particular the more harmful UVB, reaches the Earth's surface. In the year 2000, the ozone hole over the Antarctic reached its biggest size ever covering 11.4 million square miles - an area more than three times the size of the United States. For the first time it also stretched over populated areas exposing local residents to extreme levels of solar UV radiation. Local authorities warned residents in Southern Chile that they could sunburn in less than seven minutes and should avoid spending time outdoors in the middle of the day.
294928
we certainly do... some examples?\n\nozone hole http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_hole\n\noverpopulation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation\n\ndeforestation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation\n\nand lot more....
310413
i would get a team of the best scientists together to start an operation to stop global warming and repair the damage to the ozone layer.we need our earth and i know a few more countries would be inclined to aid in many other world matters
532820
Ozone consists of unstable 3-atom oxygen molecules. In the ozone-oxgen cycle, UV light splits oxygen molecules into individual atomic oxygen.  The individual atoms will then bond with 2-atom oxygen molecules to create ozone.  When ultraviolet light strikes the ozone molecule, it splits back into molecular oxygen and a single oxygen atom, and the cycle repeats.\n\nIt is this photochemical reaction that causes the UV to be "used up" in making and breaking ozone, and thus reducing UV intensity at the Earth's surface.\n\nUltraviolet light in the range of 100-320nm is most abosrbed by the ozone layer.
342053
Ozone is quite toxic because of it's reactive nature-More so to small lifeforms because of the increased exposure area..However, it would sort of be like dropping an atomic bomb in the plains to get rid of a prairie dog city.  there are a lot better, cheaper, safer ways than ozone.
59269
Not sure what you mean. But here is two possible answers for you anyways.\n\n1) Oxygen which can also exist as Ozone (O3) which is a Triatomic molecule.\n2) Or like IDUNNO pointed out Astatine which is usually not considered because of its rarity in nature.
308119
You have a misconception as to what an ozone layer is.  Ozone is a gas and is found throughout the atmosphere, even at ground level.  The ozone layer is the range in the atmosphere where ozone levels are the highest.  Oxygen O2 is present in the ozone layer as well (as are all other atmospheric gasses).  You should also note that in the ozone layer there isn't actually a whole lot of ozone, just more than there is anywhere else.  I think it's around 5 parts per million; meaning there is 1 molecule of ozone for every 200,000 other molecules.  There isn't a blanket of ozone, it's just an area where ozone is 5-10ppm instead of 1ppm or less.  \n\nWhy does most of it stay where it is?  Ozone is a somewhat unstable molecule and the same mechanism that typically forms ozone also breaks it down.  Simply, O2 gets hit by some photons of the right energy (some kind of UV light) and is split into O and O, one (or both) of those O's bonds to another O2 molecule to form O3, ozone.  Sooner or later, that O3 gets hit by the right energy of UV light and one of the O's break off to form O2 and a spare O which will find another O2 to bond with and repeat the cycle.  A small percent of the ozone does drop into the statosphere (where we live).
529041
The Troposphere is the lowermost portion of Earth's atmosphere. It is the densest layer of the atmosphere and contains approximately 75% of the mass of the atmosphere and almost all the water vapour and aerosol.\n\nBecause of earth's attraction towards its centre,this troposphere,oxygen,water ,nitrogen ,carbon...etc all hold together.
231411
jus air and water?\nwhat about delicious tasty food !! `o` \nand trees ,animals around \nand ozone layer at top \nhmmm... and yeah gravitational force of earth to let us stick over here to live. :D\nThese are enough to survive.
317929
Earth isn't being destroyed, everyone knows that unless they are morons.  Earth doesn't care if we deplete the ozone- people do.  If the water rises, people's overpriced homes go away- poo poo.  Earth was fine before people crawled out of the water, and will be here after people go to the molten core.  Earth is just some Aluminum, Carbon, etc. (all names we make up).  Sad, but true.  If you seek comfort- read the Bible, that's what it is there for.
1097264
A black hole is an immensely massive (dense, heavy) and immensely small (tiny) object in space that has such a strong electromagnetic and gravitational pull, it sucks light photons into it, making it look like there is a giant hole in the universe.\n\nNothing anywhere on this planet, including in the ocean, is anything like a black hole.
1124867
Defiantly, I think that's how the world will end. I think and can all but prove my theory. Ozone is what protects us from the sun. all of the nine planets in our solar sys have had ozone at one time. out of the the first 4 planets we are the only planet left with ozone the other 3 are all charred and burned. THAT'S THE  EXACT THING THAT WILL HAPPEN TO US IF THAT HOLE IN OUR OZONE CONTINUES TO GROW . WE WILL BURN AND BECOME THE FOURTH CHARRED PLANET. along with mercury Venus and mars. That's what happened to them. Their ozone depleted and they burned.
1040153
The ozone layer has been healing itself.