What is one environmental effect of ozone depletion?

What is one environmental effect of ozone depletion?

• A. Increases global cooling
• B. Increases ozone concentration
• C. Improves air quality
• D. Reduces the atmosphere's ability to filter harmful ultraviolet rays

Answer: (D)

Ozone in the stratosphere acts like a sunscreen for the planet, absorbing most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. When ozone gets depleted, the layer becomes thinner and less able to filter UV light. That means more UV radiation reaches Earth’s surface, which can increase risks to living things and disrupt ecological systems. It also explains why this is seen as an environmental effect: the atmosphere’s protective shield is weakened, allowing more ultraviolet rays to penetrate. The other ideas don’t fit because depletion does not raise ozone concentration, does not improve air quality, and doesn’t cause global cooling; instead, it reduces protection from UV rays and can have various harmful environmental and health impacts.

Ozone in the stratosphere acts like a sunscreen for the planet, absorbing most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. When ozone gets depleted, the layer becomes thinner and less able to filter UV light. That means more UV radiation reaches Earth’s surface, which can increase risks to living things and disrupt ecological systems. It also explains why this is seen as an environmental effect: the atmosphere’s protective shield is weakened, allowing more ultraviolet rays to penetrate.

The other ideas don’t fit because depletion does not raise ozone concentration, does not improve air quality, and doesn’t cause global cooling; instead, it reduces protection from UV rays and can have various harmful environmental and health impacts.