The Ozone Layer Essay

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THE OZONE LAYER: THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE
The Past
The ozonosphere or as we know it, the ozone layer, is the region of the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It contains a high concentration of ozone molecules. The ozone molecules in the ozone layer work to block an estimated 97-99 percentage of solar radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. If the ozone layer were not present the radiation from the sun would kill most living things and make our planet uninhabitable. The size and thickness of the ozone layer varies by location and the time of year. It is larger towards the poles of the earth and at its thickest during the spring time. The ozone layer was first discovered by Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson in 1913. In 1958 a network of ozone monitoring stations were established and still operate today. It is important to understand and monitor our ozone layer in order to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful radiation. We will look at the current status of the ozone layer, the main causes of its degradation, and what the future holds for the ozone layer if we don’t change the way we live.
The Present

In the 1980’s a “hole” in our ozone layer was discovered. The hole really isn’t a hole, but rather a section of ozone layer that is really thin. The hole is located in the Southern Hemisphere and during the spring months the ozone layer is reduced an estimated 60 percent from its normal levels. The current status of the ozone layer is much better than it was is in the past. This is primarily due to the education of the population and government restrictions. By educating the population on what substances we produce damage the ozone layer, the ozone layer has been able to slowly replenish its self. The last scientific asse...

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...ompletely heal itself within the next 50 years. As we continue to monitor the status of the ozone layer, we still need to study it as well. Understanding the ozone layer and how it works will aide us in new approaches on how to better take care of this precious shield of the Earth. As science advances, we will be able to simulate what other variants affect the ozone layer, not just the ones we know are harmful. As new products and chemicals are discovered or made, they need to be tested to gauge what, if any impact they will have on the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol needs to be an ever evolving agreement. I would suggest an annual meeting with all its participants to re-address the list of banned substances and add new ones as they are discovered. With this knowledge we will be able to ensure that are species as a whole can continue to prosper on this planet.

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