Worksheet 2.2

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PUBLISHED FOR EVERYBODY ROUND THE EARTH

In the stratosphere, ozone is produced and destroyed in the so-called "Chapman-Cycle". The reactions are shown in the box:

1. Chapman cycle.

Exercise 1

Shade the wavelength area in Figure 2a. where ozone can be formed from oxygen.

Exercise 2

Shade the area where ozone is almost the only ultra-violet radiation filter.

Exercise 3

Mark on Figure 2b. where the highest partial pressure of ozone p(O₃) is found?  How much higher is p(O₃) at this height compared to close to the ground?

Exercise 4

What is the approximate thickness of the layer of air where p(O₃) is greater than levels close to the ground? Shade this area on Figure 2b.

Exercise 5

Explain what you see in Figure 2b. using the information shown in Figure 2a.

Figure 2.
a) absorption spectra of various gases in the atmosphere
b) vertical ozone distribution in the atmosphere
© 2003 Seesing, Tausch; Universität-Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg

About this page:
authors: M. Seesing, M. Tausch - Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
last update: 2004-05-13