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What contribution did Paul Crutzen make to the study of ozone depletion?

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ozone depletion
Ozone depletion The Antarctic ozone hole reaches its maximum extent in October of each year. On October 7, 2021, when this image was captured, the Antarctic ozone hole spanned 24.8 million square km (9.6 million square miles).

Paul Crutzen made a foundational contribution to the study of ozone depletion by demonstrating that nitrogen oxide compounds accelerate the destruction of the ozone layer.1

In 1970, Crutzen discovered that nitrous oxide, produced naturally by soil bacteria, rises into the stratosphere. Once there, solar energy converts it into reactive nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2). These compounds act as catalysts that break down ozone (O3) into molecular oxygen (O2), thereby reducing the atmosphere's ability to shield Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.1

This research was critical to the field, as it paved the way for subsequent discoveries by Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland regarding the impact of synthetic chlorofluorocarbons. For his pioneering work, Crutzen was awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.1