Stratospheric ozone change

One of the potentially most important responses of the atmosphere to increasing amounts of trace constituents is a change in the amount and distribution of ozone (O3) in the stratosphere (the region of the atmosphere from approximately 12–50 km). Ozone is important to the terrestrial environment because it absorbs the bulk of the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the important UVB wavelength region (290–320 nm). If ozone abundances were reduced, more DNA-destroying radiation would penetrate to the Earth’s surface, leading to an increased incidence of skin cancers, cataracts, and damage to plant and animal life. This inverse relationship between ozone amounts and penetration of ultraviolet radiation has made the determination of what changes in ozone amounts are actually occurring and what changes are forecast for the future into important environmental questions.