Chemistry Of The Atmosphere Flashcards
How is it thought the early atmosphere was built
The surface was covered in volcanos that erupted and released lots of gases
What did the early atmosphere mostly consist of in terms of gases
Mostly carbon dioxide with virtually no oxygen
What four gases were dominant in the early atmosphere that aren’t dominant now
Nitrogen, water vapour, methane and ammonia
What formed the oceans on our earth
Water vapour in the earth condensing
Give 2 ways lots of carbon dioxide lost in the early atmosphere
It was dissolved into the oceans
Green plants and algae evolved and absorbed carbon dioxide to carry out photosynthesis
What is coal
Sedimentary rock made from thick plant deposits
How has plants and marine animals dying helped reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
When they die they fall to the seabed and get burrried by layers of sediment. Over a long time they become compressed and form sedimentary rocks, oil and gas which traps the carbon within them and helping to keep the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere reduced
What is limestone and what is it made from
Sedimentary rock made of calcium carbonate deposits from the shells and skeletons of marine organisms
How did green plants and algae increase the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
They produced oxygen by photosynthesis- when plants use light to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars
Describe how the evolution of algae and green plants led to the atmosphere levels today
Algae evolved around 2.7 billion years ago and over the next billion years or so green plants evolved. This increased oxygen levels which helped more complex life to evolve. Eventually around 200 million years ago the atmosphere reached a composition similar to what it is today
What 3 gases act like an insulating layer in the earth atmosphere
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour
What do greenhouse gases absorb and not absorb in terms of wavelengths
Greenhouse gases absorb long wavelength radiation but dint absorb short wavelength radiation
What is short wavelength and long wavelength radiation with the sun
Short wavelength radiation is the rays that go into the atmosphere
Long wavelength radiation is the rays that go into the atmosphere and reflect off the earth
What type of wavelength radiation causes global warming
Long wavelength radiation
What does deforestation do to the atmosphere in terms of greenhouse gases
The fewer trees means less CO2 is absorbed and more stays in the atmosphere so global warming increases
What does burning fossil fuels do to the greenhouse gases levels in the atmosophere
carbon that was ‘locked up in the fossil fuels is released as CO2 and leads to global warming
What does an increase in agriculture do to the greenhouse gases levels in the atmosophere
if agriculture increases then theree are more animals which will produce methane through their diet leading to global warming
What does creating waste do to the greenhouse gases levels in the atmosophere
more landfill sites and more waste from agriculture means more CO2 and methane is released by decomposition of waste
what are 4 possible consequences of climate change
a rise in sea levels - polar ice caps will melt which will increase coastal erosion and flooding
changes in weather/rainfall - may cause some areas to get too much or too little water which may affect certain areas to grow food
frequency and severity of storms may increase
more fatalities of animals - changes in temperature and amount of water available in a habitat may affect wild species
what is a carbon footprint
a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released over a full life cycle of something
why is difficult/impossible to measure carbon footprint
there are so many different factors to consider which would be extremely difficult to keep track of
give 3 ways humans across the world can reduce their carbon footprint
use renewable energy sources instead of using fossil fuels
governments could tax companies or individuals based on the amount of greenhouse gases they emit
governments can put a cap on the mount of emission of all greenhouse gases that companies release
during combustion what happens to the carbon and hydrogen in hydrocarbons
they are oxidised so that the carbon dioxide and water are released into the atmosphere
what is complete combustion
where there is plenty of oxygen in combustion and all the fuel is burned
what is incomplete combustion
where theres not enough oxygen during combustion so some of the fuel doesnt burn
what are two problems of carbon particles in the air
if particulates are inhaled they can get stuck in the lungs and cause damage which can lead to respiratory problems
bad for the environment, the particles can reflect sunlight back into space meaning less light reaches the earth causing global dimming
what are 3 problems that carbon monoxide can cause
if consumed it can stop your blood from carrying oxygen around the body
a lack of oxygen can lead to fainting, a coma or death
carbon monoxide doesnt have any colour or smell and is very hard to detect making it even more dangerous
how are nitrogen oxides created
from a reaction between the nitrogen and oxygen in the air caused by the heat of the burning
what happens when nitrogen oxides mix with clouds
they form dilute sulfuric acid or dilute nitric acid which then falls as acidic rain
why is acidic rain bad
can kill plants and damages buildings and statues. it can also make metal corrode and cause respiratory problems if consumed by humans
what are natural resources
resources formed without human input and comes from the earth, sea or air
what are renewable resources
resources that reform at a similar rate to or quicker than we use them
what are finite (non- renewable) resources
resources that arent formed quickly enough to be considered replaceable
what type of resource are minerals and ions that are found in ores in the earth
non-renewable
what are 4 potential negatives extracting finite resources has on the environment
uses lots of energy,
can scar the landscape,
produces lots of waste
can destroy habitats
