Chapter 1-Earth & its atmosphere Flashcards
(40 cards)
Name the systems of the planet. How do they interact with eachother?
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Cryosphere
Biosphere
The systems interact with each other through many processes (e.g., hydrological cycle, carbon cycle, human activities,etc)
To where does the gaseous part of the atmosphere extend to?
Gaseous part extends from surface to exosphere (fading into space)
What is the lithosphere of the earth?
The solid earth crust
What is the hydrosphere of the earth?
oceans, lakes, rivers, ice and snow (Ice and snow separately form the cryosphere)
Define the Biosphere of the planet?
Plants, animals and humans
How does the cryosphere differ from the hydrosphere?
Cryosphere: Ice and snow separately form the cryosphere
Hydrosphere: oceans, lakes, rivers, ice and snow
How many KM separate the Sun and Earth?
Nearly 150 million
How is the earth’s weather affected by the Sun despite the 150 million km distance?
Solar radiation drives the Earth’s weather
Define the atmosphere of the planet
A thin film of gases and tiny particles (aerosols) surrounding the earth
How is the atmosphere essential for life?
-It is a thin film of important gasses and tiny particles like Oxygen (O2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), water(H2O)
-It shields us from ultraviolet radiation, etc.
True or false?
The atmosphere is more than 100 km deep & the weather is contained in most of it.
FALSE
The atmosphere is more than 100 km deep (fading into space), but most of the weather is contained in the lowest layer, from the surface up to 10 - 16km
When was the Planet Earth born and what did its first atmosphere consist of?
-Planet Earth was born about 4.6 billion years ago
-First atmosphere consisted mainly of gaseous hydrogen (H2) and helium (He), which escaped into space due to high temperatures at the early times.
How is outgassing bound to earth?
Outgassing” of lava, ashes, gases from volcanoes supply water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen(N2) are bound to earth by its gravitational field
What was the mean global surface air temperature at the early phase of planet earth?
Mean global surface air temperature between 85 - 110°C (compared to~15°C now)
What are the consequences of planet cooling, water vapor condensing to form clouds and precipitation?
*Formation of oceans
*CO2 stored in oceans and sedimentary rocks (e.g.,limestone)
*N2 begins to dominate the air composition
How does life formed about 2 billion years ago?
*Photosynthesis by plants produces molecular oxygen(O2)
*Through photochemical reactions, ozone (O3) shield forms, protecting and enabling life on land.
What are the main atmospheric constituents of the modern phase of planet earth?
Main atmospheric constituents are nowadays N2 (78%), O2 (21%) & others up to ~80 km altitude
Where is O3 mostly found in atmosphere?
97 % of O3 is in upper atmosphere, where it forms “naturally”
What is the importance of ozone (O3)?
The “Ozone layer” shields the Earth from harmful ultra violet radiation.
What is the ozone “hole”?
Layer was/is being depleted near poles by Chloroflurocarbons (CFCs); a major source of CFCs came from spray cans and refrigerants
What is the primary ingredient to photochemical smog (human influence)? What are the symptoms/damages?
Ozone (O3)
Irritates eyes and respiratory tract (lungs), damages vegetation
What is the importance of CO2 in the planet?
Used by plants for photosynthesis
*Plants grow and produce oxygen (O2) alongside sugars (glucose,etc.)
Absorbs a portion of the Earth’s outgoing long-wave radiation (infrared), and radiates it back to the surface
*important greenhouse gas
Is the average concentration of CO2 increasing or decreasing? Since when?
Average concentration is annually increasing since industrialization
What is the importance of water vapour (H20) for our planet?
-Highly variable concentration
-Stores latent heat
-V important greenhouse gas