Is it possible the ozone has holes in it due to missles and rockets being blasted through it?

Answer 1

I'm going to go ahead and contradict everyone else here. (Girlnextdoor, it sounded good, but prepare to be enlightened.)

Firstly, there are huge holes in the ozone layer. Anyone look at a satellite picture of Africa recently? It's a little scorched and brown. Why do you think the Sahara Desert is getting bigger? The biggest hole is positioned directly over Africa, but is slowly moving towards South America.

Secondly, it is possible for rockets and missiles to put holes in the ozone layer, but as someone else stated, these holes close immediately because ozone is a gas. It is plausible that some ozone is burned off when a rocket comes tearing through, but it's nothing life-changing.

Another point I would like to make is that when oxygen is emitted from rockets, it will not help the ozone. this is because the oxygen emitted from the rocket is O2, while the chemical formula for ozone is O3.

So, to answer your original question; yes it is possible, but it is very unlikely. Oh, and by the way, it will take thousands of years, not a few weeks for the CFC's to clear up.

Side point: Did you know that ozone is actually poisonous? Yep, don't breathe it. You'll die.

Answer 2

First, when you hear about an ozone hole, your are hearing primarily about one very large hole over Antarctica, not multiple holes. To my knowledge, the only other "hole" is over the North pole, and isn't really a hole, but a region where the ozone layer is thinner than elsewhere. Both of these are seasonal. Assuming for the moment that rockets and missiles could punch holes in the ozone, one would have to ask why they're just over the poles.

Second, there's the matter of altitude. The ozone layer begins roughly 10 or 12 miles above the earth's surface and goes all the way up to about 20 miles. I doubt there have ever been enough missiles and rockets in that region to explain any kind of change in the ozone. This is certainly true of planes, as suggested by another poster. All jet routes used by the airlines (Class A airspace) top out at just under 12 miles.

Additionally, to address what a poster said, the result of thinner ozone isn't "instant sunburn" or even excess heat, as far as I'm aware. There *is* an increased danger from the higher levels of ultraviolet rays that can now reach us, though, including genetic damage to all living things, skin cancer, eye damage, and smog.

Details about the cause are not entirely without controversy, but in studies done since the 1985 discovery of the Antarctica hole, and even years earlier, it has become pretty well accepted by most researchers that a clear link exists between ozone depletion and Chlorofluorocarbons.

Ironically (and I'm not suggesting you are implicating rockets with some personal agenda), it is thanks to many rockets used by NASA that we know about ozone depletion and the ozone hole at all.

Answer 3

No, first off, the ozone is made out of gas and not like a material that can actually have holes. unless the gas thins out we will be okay. also, if there was holes in the ozone layer, there would be the place under the hole that was unprotected from the sun's ultraviolet rays so there would be places that were VERY hot and would like instantly give you like a sunburn and that would be like something you would hear about.

Answer 4

The ozone hole is created by a chemical reaction where the molecules of ozone break apart to combine with and form other chemicals.

im no chemist but the bottom line is that it is ruined through reactions with man made chemicals, Not by penetrating it.

On the bright side, it is reforming since we have cut back on the use of said chemicals, like cloraflouracarbons

Answer 5

No. Since ozone is a gas, such a small hole can be repaired quickly. (In a matter of 10 minutes, I don't know...) But the holes that CFCs create are much bigger and much harder to repair. If we stopped using CFCs, the remaining CFCs would thin out in about (3 weeks? I don't know...) and the ozone hole would start repairing itself. It would be done in about (5 more weeks? I don't know...).

-Sup3r0b072 (trying out my new 1337 signature, what do you think?)

Answer 6

The ozone layer is made up of gas. Solids can go through gasses just like your hand can go through air.

Answer 7

No; the hole they make closes almost immediatly after opening it.To alow the ozone to leak the hole has to be open for a good while for any significant damage to occur.

Answer 8

sorry but no. rockets are propelled by oxygen fuel so they would probably help. as for missiles. i don't think they go that high but if they did carbon monoxide would from the engine.

Answer 9

I don't think so, because airplanes and stuff go through it. It's thinning out due to green house gases.

Answer 10

actually shooting through (as in a physical term) no, the gasses emmited from them deffinattly have an effect though