Lulla, Kamlesh P. Ph.D.Earth From Space.NASA, 2000
The
Ozone Layer: An Introduction
The ozone layer is a layer
of gas, which is made up of three oxygen atoms.It is created when oxygen gas
is broken down by sunlight.The oxygen molecules that are apart bond to other
molecules and form ozone.The Ozone is broken down as well to form oxygen gas.This
cycle is how ozone maintains the same amount.Ozone is extremely poisonous,
however, even when breathing a very small amount of the gas.Ozone gas does
help in the prevention of Ultraviolet sunrays getting through the atmosphere,
which are harmful to humans.
Global Warming
Environmental Protection Agency, 2000
Global warming is what happens when the ozone layer breaks down and Ultraviolet rays are allowed to enter the Earth’s atmosphere.This event is called the Greenhouse effect.Holes in the ozone layer allow Ultraviolet rays to come into the atmosphere, and then are trapped by ozone gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide.Without this trapping of heat energy, climates and temperatures in the world would be much cooler and life on earth could not survive.Global Warming, however, is a case in which the ozone layer has too large of holes in it, and too much UV rays are getting through, thereby trapping too much energy and extremely heating up the Earth’s surface and atmosphere.Below are effects of the so-called global warming.
One cause of global warming in the atmosphere is the rise of the sea level.The sea level has risen about 6-8 inches in the past century.About 1-2 of those inches of sea level rise came from the melting of mountain glaciers.Another 1-2 inches of sea level rise came from the expansion of oceanic water due to the increase in temperature from global warming.On the U.S. coast, there is a rise of about 3 millimeters of water per year.
