6.3 Flashcards
What three elements is atmosphere made out of
What are percentages
Oxygen and nitrogen and arogon = 99.9of the earth’s atmosphere, Oxygen 21% nitrogen 78%, Argon = 0.9% carbon dioxide 0.04%
Other gasses too
Atmosphere origins and today
How did complex animals able to evolve
Oxygen and nitrogen and arogon = 9,% of the earth’s atmosphere,
Oxygen 21% nitrogen 78%, carbon dioxide 0.04%
1) at the start there were volcanic eruptions, releasing water vapour and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and some other like methane and ammonia. Cooling occurred, condensing ti water vapour into oceans we see today
2) as plants and algae evolved, carbon dioxide was used up in photosynthesis, giving OXYGEN INTI STMOSPHERE.
- some of co2 was locked up into sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels over time of dead plants and some of the co2 dissolved into the ocean, so co2 levels went down
3) nitrogen gas was spit into the air by two ways
- early ammonia reacted with oxygen ti form nitorgen.
- denitrify bacteria converted nitrates inti nitrogen
- MITORGEN UNREAVTIVE SO STAYS IN THE AIR SND JUST INCREASED.
4) an increase of oxygen also helped make the ozone (o3), protecting us from harmful sun rays and allows form complex organisms to evolve like us
5) as more and more complex animals evolved, we have out atmosphere, oxygen, nitrogen and argon and
Summary
- Volcanic eruptions = methane, carbon dioxide and water in air
- Cooking occurred water condensed to form oceans and left at ospher mainly co2
- As plants evolved, photosynthesis meant co2 used and OXYGEN given (first react with metal then once all reacted increased gradually) . AS not decompose co2 captured in dead plant as rocks and in ocean too so decrease
- Nitrogen spit =1) ammonia reacted earlier with new oxygen 2) denitrifying bacteria waterlogged convert nitrate to nitrogen. As unreactive stayed there and built up
- Build up of oxygen = complex organisms evolved (earlier died),
- also made o3 ozone layer protecting sun rays harmful= also allowed complex to survive
No more co2 as used by plants so much and decrease
Pollutants
Carbon monoxide, carbon particulates, nitrogen oxides (dioxide) , sulfur dioxide = acid rain
This are harmful substances that harm atmosphere when released , mostly occurring from incomplete combustion
Carbon monoxide
- toxic and colourless gas that can attach to haemoglobin in red blood cells, REDUCING AMOUTN IF IXYGEN blood can carry causing drowsiness dizziness and death. Therefor people keep a CO detected, happens due to incomplete combustion mainly in vehicle engines
Particulate carbonds
- these are made in incomplete combustion like vehicle engines . Soot , and sit in our lungs causing breathing problems like bronchitis and heart disease. Lead to GLOBAL DIMMING, bad for photosynthesis
Acid rain
- Nitorgen and oxygen are UNREAVTIVE, but under high temperatures in vehicle Engines, forming nitorgen Monoxids, which then can get oxidised to form nitorgen dioxide= NOx.
- sulfur in fossil fuels burnt also form sulfur dioxide.
(Nitrogen oxides can form elsehwhere too like by sunlight , thus collective of oxides are known as NOx)
When these two gases mix they dissolve in rain water and condense = acid rain, causing trees to die lakes to be damaged, (aquatic life’ killing animals and damaging some buildings such as stone work and metal
Summary
- CO = incomplete combustion/ vehicle engine = no smell colour taste= bind to haemoglobin in blood= reduce oxygen available = dizziness drowsiness and death = people have CO monitors in home
- C particulates = incomplete combustion/vehicle engine = float around= fall down as soot = can sit deep in lungs = bronchitis = also global dimming (cover sky and reduce light for photo)
- Nitrogen unreactive = under heat in car react with oxygen= NO= oxidised tk form NO2. Also photochemically produced= collection = NOx
Sulfur impurity’s in fuel= burn in oxygen= sulfur dioxide.
SO2+ NOx mix and dissolve in clouds= condenser produce acid rain = damage to aquatic systems trees and corrode buildings metal and LIMESTONE
Climate change
Normal greenhouse gas effect
1) sun transfers energy to earth
2) warm earth , earth absorbs some , some infrared radiation is emitted back towards space
3) some of this goes fully to space, others get absorbed by greenhouse gases in atmosphere
4) greenhouse gases emit this infrared radiation in all directions, causing the earth’s surface and atmosphere to warm up
This is vital and we need it to keep us warm
What is enhanced greenhouse effects
What can it lead to (problems )
That was just the greenhouse effect and this is vital to keep us warm.
However , adiditional greenhouse gasses that humans have produced (by anthropogenic activities ) pumped in the air have caused further warming, and methane from cattle, paddy fields, rice fields etc also contribute to this.
This enhanced warming can lead to climate change- involving melting of glaciers, and rise in sea levels, and therefore more violent patterns of weather such as floods and also problems with farming …
Why is carbon dioxide levels increase
- population increase animals too= more repsitstion = more co2
-lifestyle change = means more energy needed (electricity food travel cars production etc)= more co2 produced to sustain this as most comes from fossil fuels - ## more population= more land needed= less land for trees + deforestation= less photo= more co2
What are the greenhouse gasses
Co2 methane and water vapour
Increase in co2 by anthropogenic activists and change in lifestyle + methane produced by cows = leads to more greenhouse gas then necessary= enhanced greenhouse effect or global warming
What reasons can decrease global warming enhanced greenhouse gas effect
Fossil fuels cut renewable instead carbon capture , biofuels, biodiesel, S reforestation , education etc (vegetarian lifestyle , recycling , importance of etc)
How can they be reduced?
Fossil fuels, carbon capture, biofuels, biodiesel,smreforetation, education etc
Problem with biofuels ?
- reduce consumption of fossil fuels : use other energy sources like RENEWABLE ENERGY
- capturing and storing carbon (pumping it in the ground)
- using BIOFUEKS, such as ethanol, which are carbon neutral. This Bruns as much as carbon dioxide as much as it takes in during photo, so it doesn’t contribute to additional greenhouse gases.
- if made from anything living like plant= bioneutral
- Problem with this ist fsmeres may stop growing food crops in order to grow crops to make biofuels like ethanol- INFLATING the price of food. The land may be cleared to do this too .
- use in like cars means engines have to be converted but this take too long
- biodiesel Made from vegetable oils friendly but also cause food to increase
- reforestation, sommoremohotosynthesis
- Promotion if a vegetarian based lifestyle
Scientist agre on humans main reason for global warming?
Why is it hard to predict future climates!!!!
Scientists say it could be fluctuations that have happened in history
Others agree it wa shaman activity after 1951 causing excessive co2 amounts.
Complex to make a verdict and a carrying out computer tests aren’t realistic enough- difficult to predict future climates as ever changing
Drinking water cycle?
Where water comes from and why treated?
Potable = drinkin water, where low levels of salts and microbes
1) two water originally comes from things like lakes reservoirs that contain leaves, sediment poulltsnts and pesticides, and these MUST BE treated in water treatment works…
Groundwater
1) first water form lake goes to metal mesh. Here all big things like leaves and twigs separated
2) then it goes though a settlement tank, where things like sand and soil Settle at bottom and are removed
3) then ALUMINUM SUKFSTE IS ADDED, causing small particles of dirt to clump together and sink to bottom of water . Sludge collected and thrown into land mines
4) the. It filtered through filter of fine sand , removing more particles of dirt or grit.
5) looks clean now, but still can have bacteria in it so it is treated with CHLORINE, UV to sterilise it.
6) finally the PH is checked and corrected to neutral , and can be distributed around to different areas.
Summary
- Pass through mesh screen = large twigs and leaves caught
- Goes in settlement tank, where sand and soil settle and filtered
- Aluminium sukfste /lime added causes small particles of dirt to clump together and drop to bottom—> sludge , is removed
- Then through filter of fine sand, filtering any more mud kr grit out
- Looks clean but contains bacteria , UV or chlorine added remove
- PH checked corrected to neutral, and then distributed
Large twigs leaves, sand and soil, dirt clump and sludge, mud grit , bacteria
What about salt water treatment
Where is it worth
Seawater contains high amoutn sof salt, to. Jae it potable, DESALINATION ICCURS.
- small scale, reverse osmosis and special ultra filters are used
- but in large scale, distillation is just used.
Not worth it in places like UK, but where fresh water is not available, then it is worth it. Or where energy costs are low like Kuwait then worth it…
Small scale desalination (remove salt) = reverse osmosis using ultra filter
Large scale= distillation
Good for Kuwait energy cheap or where no freshwater bad in UK
