WHAT CHEMICAL PROCESS OCCURS IN THE STRATOSPHERE WITH OZONE?
Intense UV radiation in the upper atmosphere produces ozone (O3).The radiation breaks typical oxygen molecules (O2) into free oxygen atoms (O). A free oxygen atom (O) can then join with an oxygen molecule (O2) to form a molecule of ozone (O3). Ozone absorbs UV, shielding the Earth from harmful rays. WHAT DESTROYS OZONE? Chemical reactions involving gases such as chlorine, bromine, nitrogen, and hydrogen destroy ozone. The ozone depletion over Antarctica results from the combined actions of very cold conditions, the return of sunlight in the Antarctic spring, and ozone depleting chemicals, which mostly come from human-produced compounds. WHAT IS A DOBSON UNIT? A Dobson unit is a measure of the amount of ozone in the atmosphere. The unit is named after G.M.B. Dobson, one of the first scientists to investigate atmospheric ozone (~1920 – 1960). He designed the ‘Dobson Spectrometer’ – the standard instrument used to measure ozone from the ground. The Dobson spectrometer measures the intensi
