The Ozone Hole

Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in very small quantities high up in the atmosphere. It forms a protective blanket for the Earth that shields us from the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This radiation can cause skin cancer in humans, as well as stopping plants from growing. Recently, however, an enormous ‘hole’ in the ozone layer has been discovered over Antarctica. This hole is the size of the USA and appears every spring, allowing some of the sun’s harmful UV rays to reach the Earth’s surface. The hole can be seen in this satellite photo, illustrated by the pink, purple and black areas over the Antarctic. It has resulted in people living in the region, for example Australia, to take extra precautions to protect themselves from the sun’s rays.

Once again, it is human activity that has resulted in the appearance of this hole. Gases used in aerosol (spray) cans as a propellant, fridges and many industrial processes have been identified as responsible for destroying this ozone. Levels of ozone in the atmosphere are declining and if this continues, then considerable damage could be caused to many living things.