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What is an Atmosphere?
The atmosphere is a thin layer of gases that surrounds the Earth and protects life from harmful radiation and extreme temperatures.
Describe the early atmosphere 200mil years ago.
Covered with Volcanos.
90 ish% Carbon dioxide
little to no oxygen
little nitrogen
Describe the atmosphere today.
Covered with oceans/ water
0.04% carbon dioxide
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
0.9% argon
What was the early atmosphere and surface like?
The early earths surface was covered in volcanoes, which erupted and release extremely large amounts of nitrogen and water vapor. The water vapor condensed to form the oceans and the nitrogen remained in the air unreactive.
How has the atmosphere changed.
The volcanoes that erupted released water vapor that condensed into our oceans. The oceans trapped carbon dioxide through carbonate compounds and getting compressed into sedimentary rocks and fossils.
Algae and plants photosynthesizing
What is a greenhouse gas?
A gas that absorbs infrared radiation and emits it as heat energy.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Short UV wavelengths are emitted from the sun which is absorbed by the earth and warms it up. They are then re emitted as IR which reflect back to the earth.
What is climate change?
Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth's average temperatures and weather conditions.
Effects of climate change.
Rising sea levels - melting glaciers etc
Ocean acidification - absorbs too much carbon dioxide
What are the greenhouse gasses?
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Water vapor
How did oxygen increase?
Algae first produced oxygen about 2.7 billion years ago and soon after this oxygen appeared in the atmosphere due to photosynthesis.
How did carbon dioxide levels decrease?
Algae and plants decreased the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by photosynthesis.
Carbon dioxide was also decreased by the formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels that contain carbon.
How did limestone form?
As shellfish, coral and plankton died their remains were piled on the seabed which were crushed by rocks and sand. As there was an optimum temperature, they did not fully decompose and turned into limestone.
How did coal form?
Swamp plants, trees and other plants in marsh like areas die and gets compressed with layers of sediment. Due to the pressure and the right temperatures they do not fully decompose and turn into coal.
How did crude oil form?
As shellfish, coral and plankton died their remains were piled on the seabed which were crushed by rocks and sand. As there was an optimum temperature, they did not fully decompose and turned into crude oil.
How did natural gas form?
The remains of plants and animals build up in thick layers on the Earth's surface and ocean floors, and over time, these layers are buried under sand, silt, and rock, eventually forming natural gas
What is pollution?
Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
What gasses cause pollution?
Carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, solid particulates and Sulphur dioxide.
What are the problems of pollution?
Respiratory issues - nitrous and sulphureous oxides cause respiratory diseases and carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin which means not enough oxygen is present- its toxic.
Acid rain - Sulphuric acids kill aquatic life and animals and damage forests, plants and environments.
Global dimming - solid particulates/ products of incomplete combustion block light from passing through the atmosphere and reduce visibility.
