The crucial role of the stratosphere for human survival
(1) The small ozone layer on top of the stratosphere is crucial for human survival. Why?
(2) If the earth did not have an atmosphere, would its average surface temperature be higher or lower than what it is now?
(3) Some scientists have predicted that a global nuclear war on the earth would be followed by a severe ‘nuclear winter’ with a devastating effect on life on earth. What might be the basis of this prediction?
(1) The small ozone layer on the top of the atmosphere is crucial for human survival because it absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight and prevents it from reaching the Earth’s surface.
(2) In the absence of an atmosphere, there would be no greenhouse effect on the surface of the Earth. As a result, the temperature of the Earth would decrease rapidly, making it chilly and difficult for human survival.
(3) A global nuclear war on the surface of the Earth would have disastrous consequences. Post-nuclear war, the Earth will experience severe winter as the war will produce clouds of smoke that would cover maximum parts of the sky, thereby preventing solar light from reaching the atmosphere. Also, it will lead to the depletion of the ozone layer.
