Earth and atmosphere Flashcards
Earths early atmosphere
Volcanic eruptions, realising gas
Names and relative amounts of the gases found in the early atmosphere
Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
CO2 0.04%
Argon 1%
SIMILAR TO MARS AND VENUS
Oceans formation
4 billion years ago the Earth started to cool, when this happened the water vapour cooled and condensed. Producing liquid water which collected to form the oceans.
Formation of oceans influence
Sea creatures used the dissolved carbon dioxide to make their shells. When they dies the shell became sedimentary rock ‘locking up’ and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis changing the composition of the atmosphere
Photosynthesis takes place in plant it takes in carbon dioxide, sun and water and produces glucose (the plants food) and oxygen.
Chemical text for oxygen
Introduce a glowing splint, it will re-light in oxygen
Greenhouse gases examples
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour
Processes involved in the greenhouse gas affect
Energy from the sun (IR) is absorbed by the Earths surface, warming it. This is then emitted back out, some goes out to space but some is re-absorbed by gas molecules in the atmosphere. The emit the IR some of which goes back to Earth to warm it a second time. This is a continuous process.
How does human activity increase green house gases
Increasing the greenhouse effect is called global warming. This leads to climate change.
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide.
Correlation between CO2 in the environment and fossil fuel use
There is a strong correlation between level of CO2 and surface temperature of Earth
Affects of Climate change
Ice cap melting, loss of habitat, animal extinction, changes in weather patterns
How does human activity lead too increase in methane
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide.
Renewable energy resources
Global engineering solutions to reflect sunlight back to space or capture and trap CO2 underground
