What kind of chemicals destroy the ozone layer?
Ozone depleting substances are chemicals that destroy the earth’s protective ozone layer. They include: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) halon.
What destroys the ozone layer the most?
One atom of chlorine can destroy more than 100,000 ozone molecules, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, eradicating ozone much more quickly than it can be replaced.
What is destroying the ozone?
Ozone depletion occurs when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons—gases formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants—are released into the atmosphere (see details below). CFCs and halons cause chemical reactions that break down ozone molecules, reducing ozone’s ultraviolet radiation-absorbing capacity.
How do humans destroy the ozone layer?
Ozone Depletion. When chlorine and bromine atoms come into contact with ozone in the stratosphere, they destroy ozone molecules. One chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed from the stratosphere.
Did the ozone hole closing 2020?
The record-breaking 2020 Antarctic ozone hole finally closed at the end of December after an exceptional season due to naturally occurring meteorological conditions and the continued presence of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere.
Where is the thickest ozone layer?
The amount of ozone above a location on the Earth varies naturally with latitude, season, and from day-to-day. Under normal circumstances, the ozone layer is thickest over the poles and thinnest around the equator.
Which country has the biggest hole in the ozone layer?
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the ozone layer hole over Antarctica is one of the largest and deepest in the past 15 years. The hole peaked at 24 million square kilometers (approximately 9.3 million square miles).
Why the ozone hole is over Antarctica?
The very low winter temperatures in the Antarctic stratosphere cause polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) to form. Special reactions that occur on PSCs, combined with the relative isolation of polar stratospheric air, allow chlorine and bromine reactions to pro- duce the ozone hole in Antarctic springtime.
What layer do humans live?
troposphere