Ozone Depletion: A Cause for Concern Despite Limited UV Radiation

[Rahul Manavalan]

If only 14% of the total solar emission is in the UV region, why is ozone depletion a cause for concern.
Considering that only a small fraction of the sun's total radiation reaches earth.

 

[DrClaude]

If only 14% of the total solar emission is in the UV region, why is ozone depletion a cause for concern.
Considering that only a small fraction of the sun's total radiation reaches earth.

That's a non-sequitur. Who cares what % of the sun is UV? You need to compare the effect of UV radiation reaching the Earth, with and without the ozone layer. If the (partial) absence of the ozone layer is sufficient to negatively affect life on Earth, then that's all that's necessary to create concern.

 

[jackwhirl]

Considering that only a small fraction of the sun's total radiation reaches earth.

This is due, in part, to ozone. Additionally, the tiny fraction of radiation that the ozone blocks is really harmful stuff. (UV)

That said, the thought of ozone depletion doesn't keep me up at night. Should it?

 

[russ_watters]

That said, the thought of ozone depletion doesn't keep me up at night. Should it?

No. You haven't put much thought into it in a long time because it isn't in the news anymore. It isn't in the news anymore because it has been successfully addressed:

A hole in our atmosphere more than twice the size of the United States is finally beginning to close up, and might even be completely gone by the end of the century, according to a new study by NASA scientists.

The report was published in the journal Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. In short, it tells us that the measures taken to heal our ozone layer are, and will be, successful.

http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/ozone-hole-closing-nasa