C13 atmosphere Flashcards
How was the earth’s early atmosphere originally formed?
From volcanic eruptions
How did water start to collect on earth?
condensed water vapour from volcanoes,
melting icy comets
How did oxygen start being present in the atmosphere?
Algae and bacteria and later plants started to photosynthesis for energy releasing oxygen as a byproduct in the process.
What also happened in photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide was a reactant so it started to decrease in the atmosphere.When these organisms died, eventually they became either sedimentary rock or fossil fuels where the carbon got removed from the atmosphere.
What happened to the early atmosphere gases such as methane and ammonia?
They reacted with oxygen
What was another reason for carbon dioxide dissapearing in the atmosphere?
They dissolved in water in the oceans.
What is the atmospheric composition today?
By volume, the dry air in Earth’s atmosphere is about 78.08 percent nitrogen, 20.95 percent oxygen, and 0.93 percent argon. A brew of trace gases accounts for the other approximately 0.04 percent, including the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone
How did nitrogen get so high in the atmosphere?
Volcanoes produced nitrogen. During the volcanic eruptions, nitrogen was also released. Nitrogen is a very unreactive gas. Therefore, it is not removed from the atmosphere, and its concentration gradually built up; it is nowadays the most abundant gas in the atmosphere.
examples of greenhouse gases:
carbon dioxide,
* methane,
* water vapour
Explain how the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere leads to rising temperatures.
When Earth heated by Sun,
greenhouse gases in atmosphere let short wavelength
electromagnetic radiation pass through.
At night, surface of Earth cools down
by emitting longer wavelength radiation.
Greenhouse gases absorb this radiation,
so some energy radiated from surface of Earth gets trapped in
atmosphere / cannot be dissipated out of atmosphere and
temperature rises.
Why is carbon dioxide levels increasing so rapidly in the present?
-massive increase in combustion of fossil fuels
- increasing deforestation
- warming of oceans
What is the greenhouse effect?
The retention of heat in the atmosphere caused by the build-up of greenhouse gases
What are the effects of climate change?
sea-level rise due to sea water expanding and melting of ice caps and glaciers
* flooding,
* increased coastal erosion,
* more frequent and severe storms,
* changes in amount, timing, and distribution of rainfall,
* temperature and water stress for humans and wildlife,
* changes in food-producing capacity of some regions,
* changes to distributions of wildlife species
What is a carbon footprint?
A measure of how much carbon is used through the activities of a person, company or country.
Explain Carbon Capture and Storage:
carbon dioxide gas produced in industrial processes can be
pumped underground
to be stored in porous rock,
not emitted into atmosphere
to increase level of greenhouse gases and cause greater risk
of global climate change
How is sulfur dioxide an atmospheric pollutant formed?
Sulfur dioxide, SO2-Combustion of a fossil fuel which contains sulfur impurities
What does sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere cause?
Acid rain
How are Nitrogen oxideS formed?
Nitrogen is not present in fuels, but the high temperatures and pressures inside a car engine can cause the nitrogen and oxygen in the air to react together to make oxides of nitrogen.
There are several
compounds
formed when nitrogen bonds with oxygen, but the two which are made inside engines are NO and NO2. These two pollutants are grouped together with the general formula NOx.
What atmospheric pollutants are caused by Incomplete combustion?
Carbon monoxide (CO) and Particulate carbons(soot)
What can particulate carbons cause?
Global dimming as they reflect back sunlight making the sky less bright.
Why is carbon monoxide dangerous to humans?
-cannot detect when breathing in toxic gas, as colourless and odourless,
-will react with haemoglobin in red blood cells,
reducing their capacity to carry oxygen gas around body which can result in death
