49: The Ozone Layer Flashcards
What is ozone?
(O3) normally present in the stratosphere
What is the ozone equation?
oxygen (O2) + UV light = ozone (O3)
What about ozone in the stratosphere?
constantly being formed and destroyed
- amount has remained pretty constant
What is the ozone layer?
a layer rich in ozone in the stratosphere (10-15m above the surface) *(not pure ozone!) *
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
range of wavelengths of electromagnetic energy
What is the electromagnetic spectrum from longest to shortest?
radio waves –> microwaves –> infrared –> visible light –> ultraviolet –> x-rays –> gamma
Which wavelengths (long or short) will have more energy?
the longer the wavelength, the less energy; the shorter the wavelength, the more energy
What are the effects of UV radiation?
in small quantities is necessary for human health.
Why do we need UV radiation?
for vitamin D synthesis
Is too much UV radiation bad?
yes, it is harmful to human health and to other organisms
What can too much UV radiation cause?
- skin cancer (like melanoma)
- cataracts (cloudiness in lenses of eyes)
- affects the immune system
- introduces mutations in the DNA of all living organisms
- reduces crop yield and productivity
What is UV radiation subdivided into?
UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C
Which UV radiation subdivision is more dangerous to human health?
UV-C
What does ozone do to UV radiation?
ozone filters UV-C, the most dangerous UV wavelength and other wavelengths shorter than 260nm
- ozone keeps out about 95% of the sun’s harmful UV radiation
What type of air pollution results on the production of ozone at ground level?
photochemical smog!
(VOCs + NOx –Sunlight–> ozone + mixture of secondary pollutants)
