The Ozone Layer is Keeping Earth from Getting a Lot Colder
Climate change is an ever-growing concern, and a recent study has uncovered a new and alarming fact about our planet: Earth would be a lot colder if it weren’t for the ozone layer.
A team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley recently published a report in the journal Nature Geoscience that details the effects of ozone on Earth’s climate. The team found that ozone absorbs and scatters ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, trapping heat in the atmosphere and helping to keep the planet’s temperature relatively high. Without this ozone layer, the Earth would be up to 7°C cooler than it is today.
The ozone layer is critical in regulating the Earth’s climate and keeping it at a livable temperature. If the ozone layer continues to be degraded due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels, the Earth will cool significantly and negatively affect the lives of millions of people around the world.
source: Phys.org