What is the Ozone Layer?

The ozone layer is a layer of the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs most of the suns ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) and prevents these harmful rays from hitting the Earth's surface. These UV rays penetrate the Earth's surface, so without the ozone layer to block out most of the radiation, Earth would be a very dangerous planet to live on and would be almost uninhabitable.

Ozone is found in two different parts of the atmosphere. There is "bad" ozone which is found in the troposphere and doesn't pose any threat to humans and our health. On the other hand, the "good" ozone, found in the stratosphere accounts for the majority of the ozone in the atmosphere. This is the layer that protects humans, animals, plants, etc. from the harsh UV rays. But this is also the layer being damaged and posing a major threat to Earth. (go back to main page for more information)