Reply #13: same chemical, different places in the atmosphere ... [View All]

[Lisa]

So it's easy to get mixed up.

The EPA even has a new information jingle they made up: "Good up high, bad nearby".


The ozone layer, actually, is so high up (in the stratosphere, past 20 km) that it doesn't have much of an impact on surface temperatures. Most of the gases are in the lower part of the atmosphere, that's so that's where most of the greenhouse effect happens. And ozone isn't as good at holding in the heat escaping from the earth (though it's excellent for absorbing those pesky ultraviolet rays coming down from the sun).