  
 
Ozone Layer
The Earth is constantly bombarded by radiation from the
Sun. The atmosphere protects the surface of
the Earth from this radiation. It is possible that air pollution is causing
part of the atmosphere to get thinner.
Scientists measure the ozone layer to see if it is getting
thinner. With a thinner ozone layer, more ultraviolet radiation can pass
through the atmosphere. This might cause more skin cancer, mutations, and
global warming.
This map shows how much thinner the ozone layer was over
Antarctica in 1995 than in previous years. The blue and purple parts of
this map show the parts of the ozone layer which are getting thinner the
fastest.
Thought Questions
- Using an atlas, find Antarctica. How far away is it from where you
live? What is the weather like there?
- The grey part of this map shows the area where no information was collected.
What do you think that part of the map would look like if data had been
collected?
- What causes the ozone layer to get thinner? Conduct an online
search to find out. Suggested keywords: ozone, atmosphere, aerosol,
CFC, Pinatubo
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