C13: The Earth's atmosphere

Question 1

how can scientists identify what the atmosphere was like early?

Answer 1

-gas bubbles trapped in ancient
-data gathered from the atmospheres of other planets and moons

Question 2

the volcano theory of the early atmosphere

Answer 2

-volcanoes released carbon dioxide, water vapour and nitrogen.
-water vapour vapour condensed and rained
-rain collected in hollows of the crust and oceans formed

Question 3

comet theory

Answer 3

comets brought water to earth

Question 4

how did oxygen get into the atmosphere

Answer 4

algae photosynthesised

Question 5

what did oxygen in the atmosphere mean?

Answer 5

first animals to evolve

Question 6

how much of our atmosphere is carbon dioxide today

Answer 6

0.04%

Question 7

where did all the carbon go? explanation 1

Answer 7

it was given to plants by photosynthesis.
animals ate it
when they died, it was left in their skeletons
formed rocks like limestone

Question 8

what is coal

Answer 8

sedimentary rock, formed from ancient trees and ferns.
buried in lack of oxygen and compressed

Question 9

how were crude oil and natural gas formed

Answer 9

remains of plankton deposited on seabed. covered by sediment and compressed

Question 10

where else did the carbon go?

Answer 10

it dissolved in the ocean .
reacted with metal oxides, forming insoluble carbonate compounds, fell at the bottom of the ocean forming carbonate rocks

Question 11

pie chart of gases in our atmosphere

Answer 11

nitrogen 78%
oxygen 21%
argon 0.9%
carbon dioxide 0.04%

Question 12

what are greenhouse gases

Answer 12

gases that absorb infrared radiated from its surface

Question 13

what does infrared radiation do to the molecules in the atmosphere

Answer 13

stimulates the bonds to vibrate, bend and stretch more vigorously, raising the temperature

Question 14

consequences of rising levels of greenhouse gases

Answer 14

-rising see levels (melting ice caps)
-increased frequency of extreme weather events
-change in rainfall
-stressed ecosystem

Question 15

what is a carbon footprint

Answer 15

the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over its full life cycle

Question 16

what is carbon capture

Answer 16

pumping carbon dioxide deep underground to be absorbed by porous rocks

Question 17

what is the element that causes very bad pollution

Answer 17

sulfur

Question 18

what does sulfur do to cause air pollution

Answer 18

react with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide, which it toxic

Question 19

how can burning fuel in cars cause bad things environmentally

Answer 19

-diesel burns hydrocarbons, particulates cause global dimming
-incomplete combustion
-carbon dioxide
-nitrogen oxides (asthma, acid rain)