C13- The Earth's atmosphere
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What was the Earth’s early atmosphere like? Why was it like this? Why is this only a theory? What planets is this similar to?
Large amount of CO2, some water vapour and nitrogen, traces of ammonia and methane and no oxygen Volcanic activity Earth is thought to be formed around 4.6 billion years ago Venus and MArs
How did the oxygen in the atmosphere increase? When did this begin?
Algae and bacteria evolved about 2.7 billion years ago and began to use photosynthesis which produced oxygen. Increased organisms using photosynthesis through time
How did the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decrease?
Uptake by organisms during photosynthesis which then formed… -Fossil fuels, carbon in living organisms buried under pressure in the ocean Formed sedimentary rocks, carbon dissolved into oceans then formed sedimentary rocks with carbon in them
How was coal formed? How was crude oil formed?
Deposits of plant material buried with little oxygen Small organisms buried with little oxygen
How did ammonia and methane decrease over time?
They react with oxygen produced from photosynthesis
What are the percentages of gases in the atmosphere today?
Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% Argon 0.9% Traces of carbon dioxide, water vapour, noble gases
3 main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour
How do greenhouse gases cause global warming?
Short wavelength radiation from the sun enters the atmosphere and is absorbed by the Earth. Some are re-emitted as longer wavelength radiation and are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The temp will increase, causing global warming.
3 wavelengths of the light produced by the sun?
Ultraviolet, visible, infrared
How has greenhouse gases increased recently.. Carbon dioxide? Methane?
Burning of fossil fuels Emissions from growing number of grazing cattle, rice fields
Is climate change caused by greenhouse gases from human activity?
Hard to predict and verify the effects Most scientists show that greenhouse gases from human activity will increase global temperatures
4 consequences of global warming
Rising sea levels- melting ice caps and expanding warm oceans Increased extreme weather events- storms Changes in temp and rainfall- drought Changes to wildlife- extinction
Carbon footprint meaning? Carbon capture and storage meaning?
The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted over a product/service’s full life cycle Pumping carbon dioxide deep underground into rocks
4 ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
-Reduce meat consumption -Taxing companies that produce large amounts of CO2 -Avoiding car usage of fossil fuels -Replanting trees
2 Problems of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
-High costs for implementing changes -Political disagreements between countries
3 other impurities created when burning fossil fuels and their problems?
Sulfur dioxide–> causes acid rain that damages trees and kills plant life in lakes Incomplete combustion creates carbon monoxide–> toxic to humans, deadly Nitrogen oxides–> affect people with asthma, and causes acid rain
How were oceans formed?
When the Earth cooled and the water vapour condensed