1.7 Earth and Atmosphere Flashcards
Who was Alfred Wegener?
He was a german meteorologist who came up with the theory of continental drift
What process converted lots of the carbon dioxide in the primitive air into oxygen from today’s atmosphere?
Photosynthesis
Why do plates move?
Radioactive decay in the core heats up the mantle. This sets up convection currents as warm magma rises to the surface and then cools again falling back down before repeating this process.This causes the plates to move slowly just a few cm per year.
What are the four layers of the earths structure?
Inner core, outer core, mantle and crust
What were the main gases present in the earths early atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide, water vapour, ammonia and methane
How was the amount of carbon dioxide decreased in the early atmosphere?
Photosynthesis and it was dissolved in the ocean
How are the gases that make up air separated?
Fractional distillation
What current is responsible for the movement of the Earths plates?
Convectional Currents
What did the electrical spark in the Miller-Urey experiments replicate?
Lightning
What was the name of the supercontinent that broke up into the world we know today?
Pangaea
What effect does sulphur dioxide have on the earth?
Global Dimming
Why is there uncertainty about the miller-urey experiment?
It was an experiment on a much smaller scale
We are not certain of the conditions
What is coal made from?
Dead plants that have been buried and have had high amounts of pressure compress them
What could a rise in global temperatures effect?
Sea levels
The poles
Food cycles
What is the Earths core made up of?
Mainly iron, but the outer core contains an Iron-Nickel alloy
