Explain how ozone (O3 ) can play both a beneficial and a ...

[lak]

Explain how ozone (O3 ) can play both a beneficial and a detrimental role in the earth's atmosphere.

Question 2

Under what circumstances would the National Weather Service issue a tornado watch?

[skipfourms123]

Answer to Question 1

At Earth's surface, ozone (O3 ) is the primary ingredient of photochemical smog, which irritates the eyes and throat and damages vegetation. But the majority of atmospheric ozone (about 97 percent) is found in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) where it is formed naturally, as oxygen atoms combine with oxygen molecules. Here, the concentration of ozone averages less than 0.002 percent by volume. This small quantity is important, however, because it shields plants, animals, and humans from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. It is ironic that ozone, which damages plant life in a polluted environment, provides a natural protective shield in the upper atmosphere so that plants on the surface may survive.

Answer to Question 2

A tornado watch would be issued if atmospheric conditions in a particular area favor the formation of tornadoes over a specified period of time.