Question

Write about the Ozone hole in Antarctica.

Answer 1

Ozone layer: Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is made of three oxygen atoms which are found in the upper Stratosphere and are about 15–30 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

Ozone hole:

1. The thinning of the ozone layer is called the ozone hole, which has been seen over Antarctica.
2. The chemicals responsible for thinning of the ozone hole include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halogens (used in fire extinguishers), nitrous oxide, and methane gas.
3. Among all the chemicals, the chlorofluorocarbons( group of synthetic chemicals ) released from refrigerators and air conditioners, have a major role in the depletion of ozone chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) produce “active Chlorine” (Cl and ClO radicals) in the presence of UV-radiations, which reacts with ozone and destroy ozone catalytically by converting it into oxygen.
4. The depletion of the ozone layer results in the formation of an ozone hole which means the Ultraviolet rays from the sun directly reach the Earth.