Composition of the atmosphere

Ozone Layer

A protective layer in the Earth's stratosphere that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Halley VI Research Station

The location where early research on the ozone layer was conducted.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument used to measure the concentration of ozone (O3) from the ground.

Skin Cancer Risk

A 1% loss of ozone can lead to 100,000 additional cases of skin cancer in the US.

Chlorine Reaction

Chlorine from CFCs reacts with ozone in the stratosphere, depleting it.

Dobson Unit

A measurement unit for ozone concentration; 1 Dobson unit corresponds to a specific thickness of ozone.

Montreal Protocol

An international agreement established in 1987 to reduce CFC consumption by 50% by 1999 to protect the ozone layer.

Homosphere

The region of the atmosphere where gases are evenly mixed, except for ozone.

Radiatively Active Gases

Gases like O2 and O3 that interact with and absorb radiation.

Greenhouse Effect

The warming of the Earth's surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of the atmosphere where most weather occurs, extending from 0 to 16 km.

Lapse Rate

The rate at which temperature decreases with an increase in altitude.

Stratosphere

The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, containing the ozone layer and extending from 16 km to 50 km.

Mesosphere

The layer of the atmosphere between 50 km and 80 km, where temperature decreases with altitude.

Thermosphere

The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, which warms with altitude and contains the ionosphere.

Ionosphere

A region of the thermosphere with electrically charged particles, affecting GPS and satellite signals.

Atmospheric Pressure

The weight of the air column above a unit area, which decreases with altitude.

Coors Field

A baseball park in Denver known for high home run rates due to lower atmospheric pressure.

Air Density

The mass of air per unit volume, which decreases with altitude.