In which layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer located?

The ozone layer is located mainly in the stratosphere, the atmospheric layer above the troposphere.

Most atmospheric ozone is concentrated roughly 15 to 35 kilometres above Earth’s surface. Ozone molecules absorb much of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet-B and ultraviolet-C radiation, helping protect living organisms from DNA damage, sunburn, eye injury, and other effects of excessive UV exposure.

The stratosphere is relatively stable because ozone absorbs ultraviolet energy and warms the surrounding air. That temperature pattern generally increases with altitude, unlike the troposphere, where temperature usually falls as altitude rises and where most weather occurs.

The ozone layer is not a solid shell or a sharply defined boundary. It is a region containing comparatively elevated ozone concentrations. Human-made chlorofluorocarbons damaged stratospheric ozone, especially over Antarctica, leading to the famous seasonal ozone hole. International action under the 1987 Montreal Protocol has helped phase out many ozone-depleting substances.