Читать книгу Weather For Dummies - John D. Cox - Страница 68

Oxygen, the gas that sustains all life on Earth, is constantly being recycled between the atmosphere and the biological process of plants and animals. It combines with hydrogen to form water, which in its gaseous state, water vapor, is the most important component of the atmosphere as far weather is concerned.

The form of oxygen known as the gas ozone also is vital to life on Earth. Ozone forms a thin layer in the upper stratosphere that filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation. Chapter 14 describes what happens when this crucial layer is depleted — when an ozone hole forms — and what the world’s governments are doing about it.