Ozone Depletion

J(Hans) van Leeuwen

Stratospheric ozone and its importance

– The hole story
Solar Spectrum
The Ultraviolet Spectrum
400nm 100nm
Radio IR Visible UV X-Rays
Light

l
 UV light: 100 to 400 nm Far UV
UV-A UV-B UV-C
UV spectrum – 4 regions

o Far UV: 100 – 200 nm

o UV – C : 200 – 280 nm 300nm 200nm

o UV – B : 280 – 315 nm DNA damaging range

o UV – A : 315 – 400 nm
DNA Damaging Range of UV Light
 Ultraviolet Radiation
230-280 nm damages nucleic acids
Stops reproduction of cells by
breaking apart the DNA bonds
Ozone production peaks at 185nm
Ozone absorbance and destruction at 200-320nm

Ozone formation Ozone destruction



UV ozone generation
and destruction: equilibrium

O2 + h185  2O.
O. + O 2 + M  O3 + M
O3 + h254  O2 + O .

Equilibrium between
production and
destruction
Atmospheric Layers
Ozone Formation and Depletion
The catalyzed cycle of stratospheric
ozone production and destruction

1. h + O2  2O.

2. O. + O2  O3

3. O3 + X  O2 + OX

4. OX + O.  O2 + X

X could be Cl from a CFC

Halogen catalysis of ozone destruction
 Halogen removal from
atmosphere

Cl + CH4  HCl + CH3.

ClO + NO2  ClONO2
Both HCl and ClONO2 inactive: rain out
Br + O3  BrO + O2
Br + CH4  HBr + CH3.
HBr can photolytically provide Br again
Halons and CH3Br provide Br
 Ozone Depleting Substances

List of ozone
depleting substances Table 8.13 Masters Halons
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/ods.html
Antarctic Ozone Problems
Antarctic Vortex during Winter

Strong circulatory
winds around
Ice crystals Antarctica isolate the
form in vortex
air in the lower and
middle stratosphere
 Antarctic Reactions

Winter reactions
Polar vortex: -90 oC  Ice clouds
ClONO2 + H2O  HOCl + HNO3
HOCl + HCl  Cl2 + H2O
Spring reactions
Cl2 + h  2 Cl in early spring
Cl + O3  ClO + O3 destructive loop
HNO3 + Cl  ClONO2 in photocatalysis
 Ozone in Stratosphere:
Dobson Units (DU)
If 100 DU of ozone were brought to the
Earth's surface, it would form a layer 1
millimeter thick. In the tropics, ozone
levels are typically between 250 and 300
DU year-round. In temperate regions,
seasonal variations can produce large
swings in ozone levels. For instance,
measurements in Leningrad have
recorded ozone levels as high as 475
DU and as low as 300 DU.
Record ozone hole, 2006
Ozone hole altitude profile
Ozone hole severity
Ozone hole extent
Global total ozone change
http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/
 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1995

Paul J. Crutzen Mario J. Molina F. Sherwood Rowland

The Netherlands USA USA

Max-Planck-Institute MIT, USA Department of Chemistry,

for Chemistry Mainz, Germany Cambridge, MA University of California
Irvine, CA, USA

1933 - 1943 - 1927 -

"for their work in atmospheric chemistry,

particularly concerning the formation and
decomposition of ozone"
 Ozone Hole Growth: 29y

October 27, 1980 September 21, 2006 September 17, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brblHxZctsA
Ozone Hole 2009
Ozone Hole 2009
Ozone Hole 2009
Ozone hole size in recent years
http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ozwv/ozsondes/spo/ozone_anim2004.html