What is the depletion of the ozone layer?

Answer 1

Depletion of the ozone layer means that for a given vertical path from the Earth's surface to the Sun, less ozone is encountered along the way with each passing year.

This allows more UV-B to pass through to Earth's surface, more damage to the DNA of all surface life, and so on. Ozone is unique in its ability to absorb UV-B that is emitted by the Sun.

Depletion is a long term decrease in ozone concentrations. It has nothing to do with the daily pluses and minuses of ozone concentrations. It is a forcing function that destroys ozone before it can absorb UV-B from the Sun, and there are a few primary candidates for ozone depleters.

Ozone requires the following components for formation: oxygen, UV light of 215nm wavelength or shorter. Some nitrogen compounds also assist in forming ozone, even without VOCs being present.

Ozone is decreased by time, temperature, water vapor, molecules that are oxidized by ozone, and molecules that catalyze ozone destruction. Water vapor also serves to block the "nitrogen assistance" path of ozone formation.

Any increase in destroyers of ozone, or reduction in progenitors of ozone will serve to decrease the amount of ozone present at any particular place for brief periods of time. Ozone is a naturally very unstable substance and would naturally disappear if nature were not constantly creating new ozone from oxygen and sunlight. as long as we have these two ingredients, we will have ozone in our atmosphere.

Additionally, UV-B or more energetic light from the Sun destroys ozone. If the contaminants get to the ozone first, UV-B makes it to Earth's surface. UV-C or more energetic light will get stopped by other things in the atmosphere.

Thinning of ozone layer means the areas above each pole where sunlight is blocked by the earth's tilt during their winter months. This hole heals itself immediately after the daylight returns.

Answer 2

Ozone depletion is the process where ozone holes are created in the ozone layer. It is caused due to the action of chloro-floro-carbons on the ozone molecule to break it down to oxygen.
Ozone depletion is the process where ozone holes are created in the ozone layer. It is caused due to the action of chloro-floro-carbons on the ozone molecule to break it down to oxygen.
Ozone depletion is a long term decrease in average ozone concentrations along any path between the Earth's surface and our Sun.

Its symptoms are increased UV-B radiation on Earth's surface (damages DNA, causes skin cancers and eye cataracts, as well as damage to crops), and a larger-than-normal ozone hole over the pole that gets no UV-C with which to make new ozone.

The main cause of the depletion are the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that were used in refrigerators and aerosols.

Scientists hope that the holes will be completely repaired by 2050.