How is the ozone layer in the stratosphere being depleted?
Ozone Science: The Facts Behind the Phaseout The Earth’s ozone layer protects all life from the sun’s harmful radiation, but human activities have damaged this shield. Less protection from ultraviolet light will, over time, lead to higher skin cancer and cataract rates and crop damage. The U.S., in cooperation with over 160 other countries, is phasing out the production of ozone-depleting substances in an effort to safeguard the ozone layer. I. The Ozone Layer The Earth’s atmosphere is divided into several layers. The lowest region, the troposphere, extends from the Earth’s surface up to about 10 kilometers (km) in altitude. Virtually all human activities occur in the troposphere. Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on the planet, is only about 9 km high. The next layer, the stratosphere, continues from 10 km to about 50 km. Most commercial airline traffic occurs in the lower part of the stratosphere. in the graph, most atmospheric ozone is concentrated in a layer in the stratosphere, ab
