DP Environmental Systems and Societies Questionbank

Identify one method to reduce ozone-depleting substances.

Describe the role of stratospheric ozone.

Images from space and measurements have allowed scientists to estimate changes in the ozone hole.

Figure 7: Changes in the ozone hole from 1979 to 2008.

Figure 7:

[Source: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/EarthPerspectives/page3.php] Images and data courtesy NASA Ozone Hole Watch.]

Including reference to this data, evaluate the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol (1987) in managing ozone depletion.

Human activities affect the concentration of both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone.

Outline the differences in these two effects by completing the following table.

Explain the impact of global warming and ozone depletion on coastal ecosystems.

Distinguish between the causes of recent global warming and those of ozone depletion.

Outline why a high concentration of ozone in the troposphere is a direct problem for humans, while in the stratosphere it is a benefit to humans.

Outline why the Montreal Protocol may be considered the world’s most successful environmental treaty.

Identify two possible consequences for life on Earth resulting from the depletion of stratospheric ozone.

Disturbance of the composition and processes of the atmospheric system through human activity always disturbs the equilibria of marine systems.

Discuss the validity of this statement with reference to named examples.

Explain how changes in the concentration of stratospheric and tropospheric ozone in the atmosphere can affect global biodiversity.