Meaning & use
ozone layer
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingulartechnicalphysics
The band of the upper atmosphere that has a lot of ozone gas and shields the planet from much of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
Grammar: Used with the: the ozone layer; it is not normally plural.
Patterns
- damage the ozone layer
- a hole in the ozone layer
Certain chemicals once used in refrigerators were found to damage the ozone layer.
The ozone layer protects living things from the strongest ultraviolet rays.
Scientists measure the thickness of the ozone layer each spring over the poles.
Common combinations
- hole in the ozone layer
- A hole in the ozone layer was first noticed above Antarctica.
- deplete the ozone layer
- Aerosols containing CFCs helped deplete the ozone layer.
- protect the ozone layer
- An international treaty was signed to protect the ozone layer.
- ozone layer depletion
- Ozone layer depletion raised the risk of skin cancer.
- recovery of the ozone layer
- Scientists report slow recovery of the ozone layer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ozonosphere
- Ozonosphere is a technical word for the same region, but it is rarer than ozone layer in general writing.
- stratospheric ozone
- Stratospheric ozone points to the gas itself rather than the layer it forms.
Word family
- ozone noun
- a gas made of three oxygen atoms
- ozonize verb
- to treat with ozone
- ozone-friendly adjective
- not harmful to the ozone layer
- ozonosphere noun
- another name for the ozone layer
Commonly confused: ozone layer or ozone layer vs. greenhouse effect? ozone layer or ground-level ozone?
ozone layer vs ozone layer vs. greenhouse effect
The ozone layer blocks ultraviolet light, while the greenhouse effect is the trapping of heat by gases such as carbon dioxide.
ozone layer vs ground-level ozone
Ozone near the ground is a pollutant that harms breathing, while the ozone layer high above is protective.
Practice
What is the main job of the ozone layer?
Choose one answer.
The ozone layer shields the planet from ultraviolet rays. Trapping heat is the greenhouse effect, which is a different process.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ozone layer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.