Q1 What is ozone, how is it formed,

and where is it in the atmosphere?

Ozone is a gas that is naturally present in our atmosphere. Each ozone molecule contains three atoms of
oxygen and is denoted chemically as O3. Ozone is found primarily in two regions of the atmosphere. About
10% of Earth’s ozone is in the troposphere, which extends from the surface to about 10–15 kilometers
(6–9 miles) altitude. About 90% of Earth’s ozone resides in the stratosphere, the region of the atmosphere
between the top of the troposphere and about 50 kilometers (31 miles) altitude. The part of the
stratosphere with the highest amount of ozone is commonly referred to as the “ozone layer”. Throughout
the atmosphere, ozone is formed in multistep chemical processes that are initiated by sunlight. In the
stratosphere, the process begins with an oxygen molecule (O2   ) being broken apart by ultraviolet radiation
from the Sun. In the troposphere, ozone is formed by a different set of chemical reactions that involve
naturally occurring gases as well as those from sources of air pollution.

Ozone is a gas that is naturally present in our atmosphere. the entire globe with some variation in altitude and thickness.
Ozone has the chemical formula O3 because an ozone molecule Most of the remaining ozone (about 10%) is found in the tropo-
contains three oxygen atoms (see Figure Q1-1). Ozone was dis- sphere, which is the lowest region of the atmosphere, between
covered in laboratory experiments in the mid-1800s. Ozone’s Earth’s surface and the stratosphere. Tropospheric air is the “air
presence in the atmosphere was later discovered using chemical we breathe” and, as such, excess ozone in the troposphere has
and optical measurement methods. The word ozone is derived harmful consequences (see Q2).
from the Greek word óζειν (ozein), meaning “to smell.” Ozone has Ozone abundance. Ozone molecules have a low relative abun-
a pungent odor that allows it to be detected even at very low dance in the atmosphere. Most air molecules are either oxygen
amounts. Ozone reacts rapidly with many chemical compounds (O2) or nitrogen (N2). In the stratosphere near the peak concen-
and is explosive in concentrated amounts. Electrical discharges tration of the ozone layer, there are typically a few thousand
are generally used to produce ozone for industrial processes ozone molecules for every billion air molecules (1 billion =
such as air and water purification and bleaching of textiles and 1,000 million). In the troposphere near Earth’s surface, ozone
food products. is even less abundant, with a typical range of 20 to 100 ozone
Ozone location. Most ozone (about 90%) is found in the strato- molecules for each billion air molecules. The highest ozone
sphere, which begins about 10–15 kilometers (km) above Earth’s values near the surface occur in air that is polluted by human
surface and extends up to about 50 km altitude. The strato- activities.
spheric region with the highest concentration of ozone, be- As an illustration of the low relative abundance of ozone in our
tween about 15 and 35 km altitude, is commonly known as the atmosphere, one can imagine bringing all the ozone molecules
“ozone layer” (see Figure Q1-2). The ozone layer extends over in the troposphere and stratosphere down to Earth’s surface

Ozone and Oxygen

Oxygen Oxygen Ozone
atom (O) molecule (O2) molecule (O3)
Figure Q1-1. Ozone and oxygen. A molecule
of ozone (O3) contains three oxygen atoms
(O) bound together. Oxygen molecules (O2),
which constitute about 21% of the gases
in Earth’s atmosphere, contain two oxygen
atoms bound together.

10 Section I: Ozone in our atmosphere

 2018 Update | Twenty Questions | Q1

Ozone in the Atmosphere

35
20
Figure Q1-2. Ozone in the atmo-
30
sphere. Ozone is present throughout
the troposphere and stratosphere.
Stratospheric
ozone This profile shows schematically how
Altitude (kilometers)

25 15 ozone changes with altitude in the

Altitude (miles)
Ozone Layer tropics. Most ozone resides in the
20 stratospheric “ozone layer.” The ver-
tical extent or thickness of this layer
varies from region to region and
10
15 with season over the globe (see Q3).
Increases in ozone near the surface
are a result of air pollutants released
10 Tropospheric by human activities. The direct expo-
Largest increases ozone 5 sure to ozone is harmful to humans
from air pollutants and other forms of life.
5

0 0
Ozone abundance (mPa)

and forming a layer of pure ozone that extends over the entire the troposphere and can occasionally influence ozone amounts
globe. The resulting layer would have an average thickness of at Earth’s surface.
about three millimeters (0.12 inches) (see Q3). Nonetheless, this
Tropospheric ozone. Near Earth’s surface, ozone is produced by
extremely small fraction of the atmosphere plays a vital role in
protecting life on Earth (see Q2). chemical reactions involving gases emitted to the atmosphere
from both natural sources and human activities. Ozone pro-
Stratospheric ozone. Stratospheric ozone is formed naturally duction reactions primarily involve hydrocarbon and nitrogen
by chemical reactions involving solar ultraviolet radiation (sun- oxide gases, as well as ozone itself, and all require sunlight for
light) and oxygen molecules, which make up about 21% of the completion. Fossil fuel combustion is a primary source of pol-
atmosphere. In the first step, solar ultraviolet radiation breaks lutant gases that lead to tropospheric ozone production. As in
apart one oxygen molecule (O2) to produce two oxygen atoms the stratosphere, ozone in the troposphere is destroyed by nat-
(2 O) (see Figure Q1-3). In the second step, each of these highly urally occurring chemical reactions and by reactions involving
reactive oxygen atoms combines with an oxygen molecule to human-produced chemicals. Tropospheric ozone can also be
produce an ozone molecule (O3). These reactions occur continu- destroyed when ozone reacts with a variety of surfaces, such as
ally whenever solar ultraviolet radiation is present in the strato- those of soils and plants.
sphere. As a result, the largest ozone production occurs in the
tropical stratosphere. Balance of chemical processes. Ozone abundances in the
stratosphere and troposphere are determined by the balance
The production of stratospheric ozone is balanced by its destruc- between chemical processes that produce and destroy ozone.
tion in chemical reactions. Ozone reacts continually with sun- The balance is determined by the amounts of reactive gases and
light and a wide variety of natural and human-produced chem- how the rate or effectiveness of the various reactions varies with
icals in the stratosphere. In each reaction, an ozone molecule sunlight intensity, location in the atmosphere, temperature,
is lost and other chemical compounds are produced. Important and other factors. As atmospheric conditions change to favor
reactive gases that destroy ozone are hydrogen and nitrogen ozone-producing reactions in a certain location, ozone abun-
oxides and those containing chlorine and bromine (see Q7). dances increase. Similarly, if conditions change to favor other re-
Some stratospheric ozone is regularly transported down into actions that destroy ozone, abundances decrease. The balance
Section I: Ozone in our atmosphere 11
 Q1 | Twenty Questions | 2018 Update
of production and loss reactions, combined with atmospheric ozone has decreased during the past several decades (see Q12)
air motions that transport and mix air with different ozone abun- because the amounts of reactive gases containing chlorine and
dances, determines the global distribution of ozone on times- bromine have increased in the stratosphere due to human activ-
cales of days to many months (see also Q3). Global stratospheric ities (see Q6 and Q15).

Stratospheric Ozone Production

Step Ultraviolet
1 Sunlight
Figure Q1-3. Stratospheric ozone production. Ozone
is produced naturally in the stratosphere by a two-step
reaction process. In the first step, solar ultraviolet radia-
tion (sunlight) breaks apart an oxygen molecule to form
two separate oxygen atoms. In the second step, each
oxygen atom collides with another oxygen molecule
Step and forms an ozone molecule in a binding reaction. In
2 the overall process, three oxygen molecules plus sunlight
react to form two ozone molecules.

sunlight
Overall reaction: 3O2 2O3

12 Section I: Ozone in our atmosphere