Atmosphere Flashcards
How was the early atmosphere formed
There were many volcanoes in the first billion years and these erupted and gave off loads of different gasses which formed the early atmosphere. The atmosphere was made out of almost totally carbon dioxide with virtually no oxygen
What gasses formed the early atmosphere
The volcanic activity also released lots of nitrogen, which slowly built up over time as well as water vapour as small amounts of methane and ammonia
What happened to cause the oceans to form
The water vapour that has been building up over time condensed and formed large bodies of water
What happened to the carbon dioxide once the oceans had formed
The carbon dioxide levels reduce as it dissolved into the oceans, which ended up as sediment on the seabed
What happened when the first green plants started too appear
The carbon dioxide levels reduced once again as the new algae and green plants needed the carbon dioxide to photosynthesise.
What happened to some of the plants and animals that used the carbon dioxide
When they died they became entrapped in the rock so did the carbon dioxide, causing the CO2 to stay inside the rock, causing yet another reduce of CO2 in the atmosphere
What did the algae’s also do
They managed to slowly produce enough oxygen from photosynthesis to make it possible for more advanced life forms to evolve. Then finally, around 200 million years ago, the atmosphere came to have a similar composition to what it has now
