ozone layer
nounDefinition of ozone layer
: an atmospheric layer at heights of about 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) that is normally characterized by high ozone content which blocks most solar ultraviolet radiation from entry into the lower atmosphere
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Remember a couple months ago when scientists said someone was mysteriously making CFCs again, breaking the global ban and threatening the timely recovery of the ozone layer? — Alan Murray, Fortune, "Xiaomi Flop, Brexit Resignation, Formula Lobbying: CEO Daily for July 9, 2018," 9 July 2018 But evidence has been building that the ozone layer is recovering, and a new paper claims to have directly measured the ozone hole gradually filling back in. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "New measurement confirms: The ozone is coming back," 4 Jan. 2018 Nearly two dozen scientists are raising doubts about whether the Earth’s ozone layer is recovering as much as some believe. — Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Democratic senators demand Pruitt recuse himself from rewriting Clean Power Plan," 7 Feb. 2018 Overall, atmospheric CFCs are still declining, and the ozone layer is still replenishing itself. — Rafi Letzter, Scientific American, "Earth’s Ozone Layer is Under Attack—Again," 22 May 2018 Over the second half of the 20th century, the Earth's ozone layer grew increasingly thinner, and in some places disappeared entirely. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Investigation Finds China Behind Ozone-Damaging Mystery," 9 July 2018 Researchers said in a study published last month that a rise in emissions of CFC-11 was jeopardizing the effort to repair the ozone layer, which protects people and crops from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. — Chris Buckley, New York Times, "In a High-Stakes Environmental Whodunit, Many Clues Point to China," 24 June 2018 There is mercury in liquid-crystal display screens, lead in cathode-ray tubes, cadmium in semiconductors and batteries, and ozone layer-destroying chlorofluorocarbons in old refrigerators, for example. — Peter Ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "'E-waste': Getting grip on a growing global problem," 9 July 2018 And is diverting billions of dollars to interplanetary travel the most important project in human history, or an incomprehensible waste of money at a time when there are so many terrestrial crises on this side of the ozone layer? — Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, "Is Colonizing Mars the Most Important Project in Human History?," 29 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ozone layer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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