Earths Atmosphere Flashcards
What is the percentage composition of the earth’s atmosphere?
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% argon, carbon dioxide, water vapour
What was the composition of the early atmosphere of the earth?
Carbon dioxide
Negligible amount of oxygen
Methane
Ammonia
Water vapour
What is responsible for adding oxygen to the atmosphere?
Photosynthetic life
What is responsible for forming oceans in the earth?
As water vapour condensed it formed liquid water.
Why did the amount of carbon dioxide decrease?
Carbon sinks - water absorbs the carbon dioxide
Plants - remove carbon dioxide and give out oxygen through photosynthesis
Carbonate rocks - carbon containing organic material form sedimentary rocks which lock up carbon dioxide
What is a carbon sink?
A natural environment that has these ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it. Such as a forest, oceans or a rock
Examples of green house gases
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Water vapour
What is green house effect?
Uv rays from the sun hits the surface of the earth and warms it up. The earth reflects energy back as infra red radiation. Most of this energy is radiated into space but some of this energy is trapped by green house gases raising the temperature of the Earth, even more.
How do human activities contribute to the greenhouse effect?
Cattle farming and rice farming in paddy fields releases methane.
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide.
Deforestation releases carbon dioxide.
Effects of global warming:
Polar ice caps/ glaciers melting resulting to rise in sea levels and flooding of low lying areas
Change of migration patterns of animals
Rise in global temperature
Loss in animal species due to disruptions in habitats
Oceans warming, harming aquatic life
More intense droughts, storms and heat waves
What is carbon footprint?
A Carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and green house gases released into the earths atmosphere as result of our activities.
How can carbon footprint be reduced?
Using public transportation to burn less fossil fuels.
Eat a plant based diet so methane is not released from the animals.
Use less hot water as boiling the boiling water requires more fossil fuels to be burned.
