Width of Ozone Layer

[bally-chohan]

What is the width of ozone layer?

[Greg H.]

It's as wide as the planet is, since it covers (aside from some holes) the entire surface. If what you mean is how thick is it, the answer is not very - a few millimeters, according to the California Institute of Technology website.

 

See http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/66-How-thick-is-Earth-s-ozone-layer-

[Phi for All]

If what you mean is how thick is it, the answer is not very - a few millimeters, according to the California Institute of Technology website.

 

Isn't that how thick it would be if compressed into an ozone-only layer? It's my understanding that the ozone layer is several kilometers deep, varies greatly around the world and in different seasons, but is more of a concentration of ozone that's like an order of magnitude greater than normal.

[Greg H.]

Isn't that how thick it would be if compressed into an ozone-only layer? It's my understanding that the ozone layer is several kilometers deep, varies greatly around the world and in different seasons, but is more of a concentration of ozone that's like an order of magnitude greater than normal.

It could very well be. The CIT website's answer was devoid of much in the way of detail. According to the the article on wikipedia,

The ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere, from approximately 20 to 30 kilometres (12 to 19 mi) above Earth, though the thickness varies seasonally and geographically

Edited May 8, 2014 by Greg H.