Whereas the oceanic crust is composed of dense material such as iron magnesium silicate igneous rocks (like basalt), the continental crust is less dense and composed of sodium potassium aluminum silicate rocks, like granite.

Starting at the center, Earth is composed of four distinct layers. They are, from deepest to shallowest, the inner core, the outer core, the mantle and the crust. Except for the crust, no one has ever explored these layers in person.

Unlike the mineral-rich crust and mantle, the core is made almost entirely of metal—specifically, iron and nickel.

inner core

The structure of the earth is divided into four major components: the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core.

lithosphere

mesosphere

Estimates of its temperature vary, but it is probably somewhere between 9,000 and 13,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,000 and 7,000 degrees Celsius). Above the inner core is the outer core, a shell of liquid iron.

troposphere

Troposphere

the stratosphere

Ozone or “O3” is a colorless gas composed of three atoms of oxygen (O3). There are two types of ozone, both “good” ozone and “bad” ozone.

lower stratosphere

Human activities cause ozone depletion and global warming Ozone depletion occurs when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons—gases formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants—are released into the atmosphere (see details below).

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is now the dominant ozone-depleting substance emitted by humans – and is likely to remain so throughout the century, a new study suggests.

The ozone layer is expected to return to normal levels by about 2050. But, it is very important that the world comply with the Montreal Protocol; delays in ending production and use of ozone-depleting substances could cause additional damage to the ozone layer and prolong its recovery.

The record-breaking 2020 Antarctic ozone hole finally closed at the end of December after an exceptional season due to naturally occurring meteorological conditions and the continued presence of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere.

Scientists are seeing signs that the 2020 ozone hole now seems to have reached its maximum extent. The Montreal Protocol bans emissions of ozone depleting chemicals. Since the ban on halocarbons, the ozone layer has slowly been recovering; the data clearly show a trend in decreasing area of the ozone hole.

This natural sunscreen, known as Earth’s ozone layer, absorbs and blocks the majority of the sun’s UV radiation. Without this barrier in place, all of the radiation would reach Earth, damaging the DNA of plants and animals, like us humans. Without plants, the food chain would collapse. Herbivores would starve.

24.8 million square kilometers

Lightning plays no part in repairing the ozone layer, only in making some small amount of ozone in the troposphere. This ozone is decayed back into oxygen before it makes it to the ozone layer. The Sun makes and destroys the ozone layer, over and over, every day.

Ozone (scientifically known as trioxygen due to the fact that it is comprised of three oxygen atoms) is notably pungent and has a very sharp smell that is often described as similar to that of chlorine.

Lightning may play an important role in clearing the air of pollutants. A storm-chasing airplane has shown that lightning can forge large amounts of oxidants. These chemicals cleanse the atmosphere by reacting with pollutants such as methane. Those reactions form molecules that dissolve in water or stick to surfaces.

As a raindrop falls through the atmosphere, it can attract tens to hundreds of tiny aerosol particles to its surface before hitting the ground. The process by which droplets and aerosols attract is coagulation, a natural phenomenon that can act to clear the air of pollutants like soot, sulfates, and organic particles.

Lightning strikes help dissolve this unusable nitrogen in water, which then creates a natural fertilizer that plants can absorb through their roots. Lightning also produces ozone, a vital gas in our atmosphere that helps shield the planet from rays of harmful ultraviolet sunlight.