Explain how ozone (O3 ) can play both a beneficial and a detrimental role in the earth's atmosphere
At Earth's surface, ozone (O3 ) is the primary ingredient of photochemical smog, which irritates the eyes and throat and damages vegetation. But the majority of atmospheric ozone (about 97 percent) is found in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) where it is formed naturally, as oxygen atoms combine with oxygen molecules. Here, the concentration of ozone averages less than 0.002 percent by volume. This small quantity is important, however, because it shields plants, animals, and humans from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. It is ironic that ozone, which damages plant life in a polluted environment, provides a natural protective shield in the upper atmosphere so that plants on the surface may survive.
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The ____ Ocean opened along a ____ plate boundary between Laurentia and Baltica
a. Atlantic, divergent b. Iapetus; convergent c. Atlantic; convergent d. Iapetus; divergent e. Iapetus; transform
Carbon dioxide
A) is a noble gas. B) is a solid that contributes very little to atmospheric and climatic change. C) is a greenhouse gas that may hold the key to important climatic changes. D) has become so thick that certain insects can no longer fly but are forced to crawl.
The industrial location theoretical framework is often confirmed by such examples as Bethlehem Steel Corporation's plant at Bethlehem, PA
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
One reason the temperature decreases with increasing altitude in the troposphere is ________
A) the water vapor in the troposphere is heated by terrestrial radiation B) the chemical reaction that forms ozone gives off heat and ozone increases in concentration toward the upper troposphere C) the solar radiation is absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere D) molecular spacing increases with increasing altitude