C13.1 - History of our atmosphere Flashcards

1
Q

When do scientists think the Earth was formed?

A

Scientists think that the Earth was formed 4.6 billon years ago

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2
Q

What do scientists think the Earth was, to begin with?

A

To begin with, scientists think that the Earth was a molten ball of:

  1. Rock
  2. Minerals
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3
Q

What was the Earth for its 1st billion years?

A

The Earth for its 1st billion years was a very hot, turbulent place

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4
Q

Scientists think that the Earth was formed 4.6 billon years ago.
To begin with, scientists think that the Earth was a molten ball of rock and minerals.
The Earth for its 1st billion years was a very hot, turbulent place.
What was the Earth’s surface covered with?

A

The Earth’s surface was covered with volcanoes that erupted

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5
Q

Scientists think that the Earth was formed 4.6 billon years ago.
To begin with, scientists think that the Earth was a molten ball of rock and minerals.
The Earth for its 1st billion years was a very hot, turbulent place.
The Earth’s surface was covered with volcanoes that erupted, releasing fire and gases into the atmosphere.
What did the volcanoes do?

A

The volcanoes moved chemicals from inside the Earth to the:

  1. Surface
  2. Newly forming atmosphere
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6
Q

Atmosphere

A

The atmosphere is the relatively thin layer of gases that surround planet Earth

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7
Q

What are there several theories about?

A

There are several theories about the Earth’s early atmosphere

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8
Q

There are several theories about the Earth’s early atmosphere, but what is there?

A

There are several theories about the Earth’s early atmosphere, but there is little direct evidence to draw on from billions of years ago

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9
Q

There are several theories about the Earth’s early atmosphere, although there is little direct evidence to draw on from billions of years ago.
However, what have scientists done?

A

Scientists have reconstructed what they think the atmosphere must have been like

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10
Q

There are several theories about the Earth’s early atmosphere, although there is little direct evidence to draw on from billions of years ago.
However, scientists have reconstructed what they think the atmosphere must have been like.
What have scientists reconstructed what they think the atmosphere must have been like based on?

A

Scientists have reconstructed what they think the atmosphere must have been like, based on:

  1. Evidence from gas bubbles trapped in ancient rocks
  2. Data gathered from the atmospheres of other planets and their moons in the solar system
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11
Q

How can scientists get information about what the Earth’s atmosphere was like in the past based on evidence from gas bubbles trapped in ancient rocks?

A

Scientists can get information about what the Earth’s atmosphere was like in the past based on evidence from gas bubbles trapped in ancient rocks from Antarctic ice cores

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12
Q

What does one theory about the atmosphere suggest?

A

One theory about the atmosphere suggests that volcanoes released:
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Water vapour
2. Nitrogen
and that these gases formed the early atmosphere

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13
Q

How did the first oceans form?

A

The first oceans formed as water vapour in the atmosphere:

  1. Condensed as the Earth gradually cooled down
  2. Fell as rain
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14
Q

The first oceans formed as water vapour in the atmosphere condensed as the Earth gradually cooled down and fell as rain.
Water collected in hollows in the crust as the rock solidified.
Another theory speculates that what could also have brought water to the Earth?

A

Another theory speculates that comets could also have brought water to the Earth

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15
Q

As the Earth began to stabilise, what was the early atmosphere probably mainly?

A

As the Earth began to stabilise, the early atmosphere was probably mainly carbon dioxide

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16
Q

Chemical formula for carbon dioxide

A

The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2

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17
Q

Chemical formula for water vapour

A

The chemical formula for water vapour is H20

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18
Q

Chemical formula for nitrogen gas

A

The chemical formula for nitrogen gas is N2

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19
Q

Chemical formula for methane

A

The chemical formula for methane is CH4

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20
Q

Chemical formula for ammonia

A

The chemical formula for ammonia is NH3

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21
Q

What does an atmosphere mostly made up of carbon dioxide, with possibly some water vapour, nitrogen gas, traces of methane and ammonia and virtually no oxygen resemble?

A

An atmosphere mostly made up of carbon dioxide, with possibly some water vapour, nitrogen gas, traces of methane and ammonia and virtually no oxygen resembles the atmospheres that are known to exist today on the planets:

  1. Mars
  2. Venus
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22
Q

After the initial violent years of the history of the Earth, how did the atmosphere remain?

A

After the initial violent years of the history of the Earth, the atmosphere remained quite stable

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23
Q

After the initial violent years of the history of the Earth the atmosphere remained quite stable.
When was this until?

A

This was until life first appeared on Earth

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24
Q

What are there also many theories about?

A

There are also many theories as to how life was formed on Earth

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25
Q

When do scientists think that life began?

A

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago

26
Q

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when the first simple organisms, similar to bacteria, appeared.
What could these simple organisms use as a source of energy?

A

These simple organisms could use the breakdown of chemicals as a source of energy

27
Q

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when the first simple organisms, similar to bacteria, appeared.
Then, about 2.7 billion years ago, what evolved?

A

Then, about 2.7 billion years ago:
1. Bacteria
2. Other simple organisms
evolved

28
Q

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when the first simple organisms, similar to bacteria, appeared.
These simple organisms could use the breakdown of chemicals as a source of energy.
Then, about 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as algae, evolved.
What could algae use to make their own food by photosynthesis?

A

Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis

29
Q

Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis.
What did this produce as a waste product?

A

This produced oxygen gas as a waste product

30
Q

About 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as algae, evolved.
Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis.
This produced oxygen gas as a waste product.
What happened over the next billions years or so?

A

Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily

31
Q

About 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as algae, evolved.
Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis.
This produced oxygen gas as a waste product.
Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily.
Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily, as what?

A

Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily, as the:
1. Algae
2. Bacteria
thrived in the seas

32
Q

About 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as algae, evolved.
Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis.
This produced oxygen gas as a waste product.
Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily, as the algae and bacteria thrived in the seas.
Then, what happened?

A

Then:
1. More
2. More
plants evolved

33
Q

About 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as algae, evolved.
Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis.
This produced oxygen gas as a waste product.
Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily, as the algae and bacteria thrived in the seas.
Then, more and more plants evolved.
What were all of them doing?

A

All of them were photosynthesising

34
Q

The chemical formula for photosynthesis

A

The chemical formula for photosynthesis is:
(energy from sunlight)
6CO2 + 6H20 —> C6H12O6 + 6O2

35
Q

What did plants do, as they evolved?

A

As they evolved, plants successfully colonised most of the surface of the Earth

36
Q

As they evolved, plants successfully colonised most of the surface of the Earth, so what?

A

As they evolved, plants successfully colonised most of the surface of the Earth, so the atmosphere became richer in oxygen

37
Q

As they evolved, plants successfully colonised most of the surface of the Earth, so the atmosphere became richer in oxygen.
What did this make possible?

A

This made it possible for the first animal forms to evolve

38
Q

As they evolved, plants successfully colonised most of the surface of the Earth, so the atmosphere became richer in oxygen.
This made it possible for the first animal forms to evolve.
What could these animals do?

A

These animals could not make their own food like the:
1. Algae
2. Plants
could

39
Q

As they evolved, plants successfully colonised most of the surface of the Earth, so the atmosphere became richer in oxygen.
This made it possible for the first animal forms to evolve.
These animals could not make their own food like the algae and plants could.
What did they rely on?

A

These animals relied on:

  1. The algae and plants for their food
  2. Oxygen to respire
40
Q

Where did some of the first photosynthesising bacteria probably live?

A

Some of the first photosynthesising bacteria probably lived in colonies like stromatolites

41
Q

Many of the earliest living microorganisms could not do what?

A

Many of the earliest living microorganisms could not tolerate a high oxygen concentration

42
Q

Why could many of the earliest living microorganisms not tolerate a high oxygen concentration?

A

Many of the earliest living microorganisms could not tolerate a high oxygen concentration, because they had evolved without it

43
Q

Many of the earliest living microorganisms could not tolerate a high oxygen concentration, because they had evolved without it.
What happened as a result?

A

As a result, they largely died out

44
Q

Some bacteria do not need what?

A

Some bacteria do not need oxygen

45
Q

Some bacteria do not need oxygen and they will die if they are exposed to it.
However, where can they survive and breed?

A

They can survive and breed in:

  1. Rotting tissue
  2. Other places where there is no oxygen
46
Q

Scientists think that the Earth was formed 4.6 billon years ago.
To begin with, scientists think that the Earth was a molten ball of rock and minerals.
The Earth for its 1st billion years was a very hot, turbulent place.
The Earth’s surface was covered with volcanoes that erupted, releasing what into the atmosphere?

A

The Earth’s surface was covered with volcanoes that erupted, releasing:
1. Fire
2. Gases
into the atmosphere

47
Q

Scientists can get information about what the Earth’s atmosphere was like in the past based on evidence from gas bubbles trapped in ancient rocks from Antarctic ice cores.
Each year what forms with tiny bubbles of air trapped in it?

A

Each year a layer of ice forms with tiny bubbles of air trapped in it

48
Q

Scientists can get information about what the Earth’s atmosphere was like in the past based on evidence from gas bubbles trapped in ancient rocks from Antarctic ice cores.
Each year a layer of ice forms with tiny bubbles of air trapped in it.
What happens the deeper you go in the ice?

A

The deeper you go in the ice, the older the air

49
Q

Scientists can get information about what the Earth’s atmosphere was like in the past based on evidence from gas bubbles trapped in ancient rocks from Antarctic ice cores.
Each year a layer of ice forms with tiny bubbles of air trapped in it.
The deeper you go in the ice, the older the air.
So analysing bubbles from different layers shows you what?

A

Analysing bubbles from different layers shows you how the atmosphere has changed

50
Q

The first oceans formed as water vapour in the atmosphere condensed as the Earth gradually cooled down and fell as rain.
Water did what as the rock solidified?

A

Water collected in hollows in the crust as the rock solidified

51
Q

The first oceans formed as water vapour in the atmosphere condensed as the Earth gradually cooled down and fell as rain.
Water collected in hollows in the crust as the rock solidified.
Another theory speculates that comets could also have brought water to the Earth.
What happened as icy comets rained down on the surface of the Earth?

A

As icy comets rained down on the surface of the Earth, they melted

52
Q

The first oceans formed as water vapour in the atmosphere condensed as the Earth gradually cooled down and fell as rain.
Water collected in hollows in the crust as the rock solidified.
Another theory speculates that comets could also have brought water to the Earth.
As icy comets rained down on the surface of the Earth, they melted, doing what?

A

As icy comets rained down on the surface of the Earth, they melted, adding to its water supplies

53
Q

As the Earth began to stabilise, the early atmosphere was probably mainly carbon dioxide.
There could also have been some what?

A

There could also have been some:

  1. Water vapour
  2. Nitrogen gas
  3. Traces of methane
  4. Ammonia
54
Q

As the Earth began to stabilise, the early atmosphere was probably mainly carbon dioxide.
There could also have been some water vapour, nitrogen gas, traces of methane and ammonia.
There would have been very little or no what at that time?

A
There would have been:
1. Very little
Or,
2. No
oxygen at that time
55
Q

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when what?

A

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when the first simple organisms, similar to bacteria, appeared

56
Q

Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when the first simple organisms, similar to bacteria, appeared.
Then, about 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as what, evolved?

A
Scientists think that life began 3.4 billion years ago, when the first simple organisms, similar to bacteria, appeared.
Then, about 2.7 billion years ago:
1. Bacteria
2. Other simple organisms, such as algae
,evolved
57
Q

About 2.7 billion years ago, bacteria and other simple organisms, such as algae, evolved.
Algae could use the energy from the Sun to make their own food by photosynthesis.
This produced oxygen gas as a waste product.
Over the next billion years or so, the levels of oxygen rose steadily, as the algae and bacteria thrived in the seas.
Then, more and more plants evolved.
All of them were photosynthesising, doing what?

A

All of them were photosynthesising:

  1. Removing carbon dioxide
  2. Making oxygen
58
Q

Some of the first photosynthesising bacteria probably lived in colonies like stromatolites.
They grew in what?

A

They grew in water

59
Q

Some of the first photosynthesising bacteria probably lived in colonies like stromatolites.
They grew in water and did what?

A

They:

  1. Grew in water
  2. Released oxygen into the early atmosphere
60
Q

Many of the earliest living microorganisms could not tolerate a high oxygen concentration, because they had evolved without it.
As a result, why did they largely die out?

A

As a result, they largely died out, because there were fewer places where they could survive

61
Q

Some bacteria do not need oxygen and they will what if they are what?

A

Some bacteria:

  1. Do not need oxygen
  2. Will die if they are exposed to it