
Ozone depletion
The ozone layer is a critical component of the Earth's atmosphere that protects life on the planet from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. It is a thin layer of ozone molecules (O3) located in the stratosphere, about 10 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. The ozone layer acts as a shield, absorbing most of the sun's harmful UV radiation and preventing it from reaching the Earth's surface.