Previous Year Question

The ozone hole refers to severe depletion of ozone in the stratosphere. According to NASA, most atmospheric ozone occurs in the stratosphere, roughly 11–50 km above the Earth's surface, where it forms a protective layer that absorbs a major portion of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The term “ozone hole” does not mean a physical hole in the atmosphere; it refers to an area where the concentration of stratospheric ozone becomes extremely low. The phenomenon is particularly prominent over Antarctica during Southern Hemisphere spring. NASA explains that the Antarctic ozone hole is linked mainly to destruction of stratospheric ozone by human-produced CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances.