C13 Flashcards
(38 cards)
when was the earth formed
Scientists believe the Earth was formed around 4.6 billion years ago
what gases were released from volcanoes in the early atmosphere
the volcanoes released CO2, H20 and N2.
how did o2 come into the atmosphere?
algae photosynthesised to release O2
when were the first simple organisms formed?
the first simple organisms were formed 3.4 billion years ago
when were bacteria formed?
bacteria was formed 2.7 billion years ago
why couldn’t most of the early microorganisms survive
due to the development of the O2 rich atmosphere
what type of rock is coal
coal is a type of sedimentary rock
how were crude oil and natural gases formed
they are from the remains of plankton deposited in the seabed
why haven’t the CO2 levels changed over the last 200 million years
CO2 levels have not changed much due to the carbon cycle
what are the three greenhouse gases?
carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor
how do greenhouse gases make the atmosphere hotter?
greenhouse gases absorb energy radiated from the earth’s atmosphere
what do greenhouse gases do to em waves
greenhouse gases let short EM waves pass through, and traps long em waves
what happens if there is a high proportion of greenhouse gases
the higher the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the more energy is absorbed
what has burning fossil fuels to electricity caused
burning fossil fuels to generate electricity has increased the level of co2 in the atmosphere
what has caused the methane levels to rise
swamps, rice fields, decomposing waste of cattle, and landfill sites
how are humans affecting CO2 sinks
deforestation of tropical rainforests means less photosynthesis is taking place
and as temperature increases, CO2 becomes less soluble, making oceans less effective as CO2 sinks.
how can scientists analyse the composition of the past atmosphere?
scientists can analyse the composition of the atmosphere from the past, by analysing ice cores drilled from Iceland’s ice sheets
what are the consequences of global warming
-rising sea levels
- changes in temperature
- changes to the distribution of wildlife species
what are wamer oceans
this is the ocean that has expanded because of the heat
what is carbon footprint
the total amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases released over its full life cycle
what is capture and storage?
solution to reduce CO2 levels is to pump it deep underground to be absorbed into porous rocks
how is the government dealing with global warming
- taxing fossil fuels
- taxing cars that burn lots of petrol/diesel
- support the use of biofuels
- there are policies that say when new trees are felled, new ones must be planted in its place.
problems to reduce carbon footprint
- lifestyle changes
- cost
3.people disagree that climate change has consequences
what happens when sulfur impurities in fossil fuels are burned
Sulfur impurities in fossil fuels become sulfur dioxide after it’s burned