Formation of ozone

Formation of ozone

Schematic representation of the photochemical ozone formation and destruction.

Ozone is a gas found in the atmosphere consisting of three oxygen atoms: O₃. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere when energetic ultraviolet (UV) radiation dissociates molecules of oxygen, O₂ , into separate oxygen atoms. Free oxygen atoms can recombine to form oxygen molecules but if a free oxygen atom collides with an oxygen molecule, it joins up, forming ozone. Ozone molecules can also be decomposed by ultraviolet radiation into a free atom and an oxygen molecule. Ozone is thus continuously created and destroyed in the atmosphere by UV radiation coming from the sun. This highly energetic UV radiation is called UVC (wavelength 280 nm) and is very harmful to human health. UVC is fully absorbed in the atmosphere by oxygen and ozone molecules. Ozone also absorbs UVB radiation, which is less energetic (wavelength 280 – 325 nm) but also harmful, before it reaches the surface of the Earth. In this creation/destruction process the amounts of ozone molecules created and destroyed are roughly equal, so that the total amount of ozone in the atmosphere is nearly constant. The absolute concentration of ozone in the atmosphere is very low: out of 10 million air molecules, only 3 are ozone molecules.