intermediates—highly reactive, unstable molecules that exist for only a fraction of a second. These molecules emerge when ozone encounters isoprene, a gas emitted in vast quantities by forests and vegetation. While isoprene itself is harmless, its...

balloons from Spain and Iceland. Spanish payloads are slated to ascend to 27–37 km, equipped with omnidirectional cameras, ozone‑monitoring sensors and radio‑frequency experiment kits. Parallel launches in Iceland will deploy radiosondes that record...

particles of aluminum and other metals. The oxidation of aluminum can generate aluminum oxide, a compound known to affect ozone chemistry, though the net impact of thousands of simultaneous re‑entries remains an open question. “But if you have hundreds...

Reclaimed by Anaerobic Life Should this deoxygenation occur, the Earth will become an unrecognizable world. Without an ozone layer to shield the surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation and with a methane-rich, CO2-poor atmosphere, the planet would...

evidence that this burst threatened life, researchers have long hypothesized that intense cosmic radiation could deplete the ozone layer, potentially altering the planet’s habitability over long timescales. Understanding how our atmosphere responds to...