Episode 22: The Ozone Trilogy (2/3) – Stratospheric Ozone: A Protective Shield and a Prerequisite for Life

Ozone has two quite different sides: Near the ground, it can really give us a hard time in the summer—but high up in the stratosphere, it serves as an indispensable protective shield for life on Earth.

So in this episode, we’re heading high up into the sky: We’ll take a look at exactly where the ozone layer is located, how it forms, and why it’s surprisingly thin despite its vast size. We’ll also discuss the Chapman cycle, UVA, UVB, and UVC radiation, and how researchers are able to measure the ozone layer in the first place.

We’ll also take a look at trends in UV radiation in Europe and explain why higher levels of UV radiation at ground level don’t automatically mean that the ozone layer has thinned.

And finally, we go back to the origins of life: What role did ozone play in enabling life to spread across the Earth’s surface?