stratospheric ozone
Upper-air UV filter
Stratospheric ozone is the ozone concentrated in the stratosphere, roughly 10 to 30 miles above Earth's surface.
This layer absorbs most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation, making it essential for life on Earth.
The term often appears in discussions of the ozone hole, a region of severe depletion over Antarctica caused by human-made chemicals.
Scientists monitor stratospheric ozone levels to track recovery from decades of damage.
- upper atmosphereAir layer farthest up
- troposphereLowest atmospheric layer
- UV radiationInvisible high-energy light waves
- satellite imagingPhotography from orbiting spacecraft
- nitrogen oxidesCombustion byproducts harming air quality
global warming · climate regulation · protective · environmental · international treaties · polar · photochemical · sunburn · sun damage · freon · ultraviolet · UV protection · shield · hole · chlorine · cancer · Antarctic · refrigerant
- Ozoneozonosphere, CFCs, chlorofluorocarbons, UV radiation, chlorine
- Climate Forcerscarbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, CO2, CH4
- Stratosphere