Ozone Depletion Causes Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ozone Depletion Causes Global Warming - Essay Example When it is formed near the surface of the earth, it is toxic and may cause asthma while it is a blanket of protection from solar radiation once it is located in the atmosphere. The region of the ozone in the atmosphere is known as the ozone layer which has an altitude of 10 to 35 kilometers. The oxygen in the atmosphere once exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun is converted to ozone and the harmful UV radiation is absorbed. It is very important to have ozone since the higher the concentration of ozone, the less UV radiation can reach the surface of the earth and the same applies the other way around. Sunburn, skin cancers and eye cataracts are the consequences once ozone layer is thin and more UV rays can penetrate the atmosphere (Shanklin 84). To understand the ozone in the atmosphere better, it would be help if the exact location is identified and further reactions that may cause the depletion of it. Ozone layer is part of the stratosphere and the ozone gas is scattered over 15 kilometers above sea level. Ozone may not be as much as the concentration of oxygen and nitrogen in the air, it is still very important because of its ability to absorb the radiation. In 1970, a study was made by Crutzen regarding nitrogen oxides which are produced from the decay of nitrous oxide through the action of microorganisms in the soil. The study showed how nitrogen oxides react quickly with ozone leading to the concentration reduction of available ozone. Such a study opened the research on  "global biogeo-chemical cycles" and the nitrogen oxides released by airplanes as they travel on the stratosphere (Lipkin 262). Ozone layer depletion increased the harmful radiation at the surface of the planet. The change may have both beneficial and harmful effects to living things especially to human beings. More people became aware of the consequences of radiation exposure in the past 60 years. According to some recent reports, the eye and the skin are the most prawn to damages an d diseases once exposed to UV radiation. Cataract is the usual effect of UV radiation to the eyes while skin cancer is the common result on skin (Norval et. al. 199). The other term that must be defined is global warming. The average surface temperature of earth increases as the years passed and possibly it would continue in the future is said to be global warming. It is caused by the greenhouse effect which is the increase in the concentration carbon dioxide and other gases like water vapor, methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere that envelop the surface of the earth and prevents the UV radiation to escape to the outer space. Human activities hasten the increase in concentration of the green house gases that increase the temperature of the earth. Climate models predicted that surface temperature of the earth increases by 1.1-6.4oC within the year 1990 and 2100. If greenhouse effect had been regulated, the temperature of planet earth would have been 30oC lo wer at least (Rajeshwari 337). Global warming is really affected by the green house gases that are responsible for the green house effect. Experts say manmade carbon dioxide emissions are the primary reason for the increase in temperature. Other people may claim that the occurrence is just normal although the temperature increase nowadays is beyond the normal threshold. The findings were not able to find any alarming carbon dioxide