Watching a disappearing shield

The remote-sensing techniques used to monitor atmospheric ozone levels are reviewed, and recent results are discussed. The importance of the ozone layer as a shield for UV radiation is stressed, and the impact of human activities generating ozone-destroying compounds is considered. Ground-based, airborne, balloon-borne, and satellite remote-sensing methods are shown to complement each other to provide both global coverage and detailed structural information. Data obtained with the Nimbus-7 TOMS and solar-backscatter UV instruments are presented in graphs and briefly characterized.