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Ozone, O₃, an allotropic form of oxygen containing three atoms, is an important chemical constituent of the Earth's atmosphere (Fig. 1...

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Figure 1.Rough distribution of atmospheric ozone and the variation of temperature as a function of altitude. Most of the ozone is in the stratosphere. If all the ozone in the atmosphere was brought down to sea level, it would occupy a layer only a few millimeters thick.

From update 'Atmospheric ozone chemistry'

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Figure 2.Plots of (a) methyl chloroform, a short-lived gas, and (b) chlorofluorocarbon-11, a long-lived gas, as a function of year. Both emissions were curtailed following the Montreal Protocol and its amendments. Methyl chloroform is already decreasing in the atmosphere. Such data show that the Montreal Protocol is reducing human-produced chlorine-containing gases in the atmosphere. (Data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory)

From update 'Atmospheric ozone chemistry'

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Figure 3.Chemical pathway by which a combination of a hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxides, and sunlight can generate ozone in the troposphere. In this region, molecular O2 cannot be split apart by light, unlike in the stratosphere. Yet, because of the chemical reactions, ozone can be chemically generated. The scheme is shown for methane, the simplest atmospheric hydrocarbon. Similar mechanisms work for other hydrocarbons. Depending on the conditions, control of hydrocarbons or nitrogen oxides may be needed to reduce ozone production.

From update 'Atmospheric ozone chemistry'

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