SciDev.Net
Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
Definitions
Below is a directory of terms used in the field of climate change. Most of the definitions have been taken from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, with a few from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the European Commission.
Climate change is the greatest challenge facing the world today. Long-term development planning must now include measures to deal with it.
O
Ozone
An important greenhouse gas that consists of three atoms of oxygen bonded together, in contrast to normal atmospheric oxygen that consists of two atoms of oxygen. Ozone is found in both the stratosphere (about 90 per cent of the total atmospheric loading) and the troposphere (about 10 per cent). In the stratosphere, ozone also provides a protective layer shielding the Earth from ultraviolet radiation and subsequent harmful health effect on humans and the environment. In the troposphere, oxygen molecules in ozone combine with other chemicals and gases to cause smog.
