chemistry of the atmosphere Flashcards
Roughly how old is the planet Earth?
Around 4.6 billion years old
what is the theory of how the early atmosphere was formed - first phase
- first billion years of earth, the surface was covered in volcanoes that erupted and released gas
- early atmosphere mostly made up of CO2
- volcanic activity released nitrogen which built up in atmosphere, as well as water vapour and small bits of methane and ammonia
what is the theory of how the early atmosphere was formed - second phase
- water vapour in atmosphere condensed it created oceans
- CO2 in atmosphere dissolved in oceans where is became carbon precipitates and eventually sediments on the seabed
- green plants and algae evolved
what is the theory of how the early atmosphere was formed - third phase
green plants and algae evolved and absorbed the CO2 in and photosythesized and produced oxygen which led to more complx life evolving
what happens to the carbon that was taken in by the algae and plants after the organisms die
- dead plants fall to seabed and get buried beneath sediment
- over millions of years they get compressed and become sedimentary rocks,oil and gas which traps the carbon within them and keeps it out of the atmosphere
crude oil and natural gas are made from deposits of…..
plankton
coal is a sedimentary rock made from….
thick plant deposits
limestone is a sedimentary rock made from…
calcium carbonate deposits in shells and skeletons
how long ago to algae evolve
2.7 billion years ago
Which gas makes up around 80% of the Earth’s atmosphere?
nitrogen
Which gas makes up around 20% of the Earth’s atmosphere?
oxygen
Which of the gases below contribute less than 1% to the Earths atmosphere?
carbon dioxide + argon
In the first billion years, the gases that formed Earth’s early atmosphere came mainly from which source?
volcanic activity
what is the word equation for photosythesis
carbon dioxide + water = oxygen + glucose
what is the atmosphere
a layer of gas surrounding the earth which is held in place by gravity
what do greenhouse gases do in the atomsphere
act like an insulating layer in the Earth’s atmosphere which allows the earth to warm enough o support life
what is the green house affect
- solar radiation from sun goes through atmosphere and hits earth
- some energy is reflected back towards space and some is absorbed by earth and then re- emitted back to space
- some energy makes it to space but most is absorbed y green house gases
- the green house molecules re-emit energy and process keeps happening
- the trapped energy make the atmosphere warmer
what is the short length radiation
the radiation from the sun
what is the long length radiation
the re-radiation rays in the atmosphere
what forms of human activity affect the amount of green house gases in the atompshere
- deforestation
- burning fossil fuels
- agriculture
- creating waste
how is global warming and climate change different
global warming is the overall increase in the earths temperature
climate change is a consequence of global warming
what are some consequences of climate change
ice caps melting: causing rising sea levels, increased flooding and coastal erosion
increase volume of water: water expands when heated so can lead to seasonal flooding
what is the difference between weather and climate
Weather refers to short term atmospheric conditions, like whether it’s raining or sunny on a particular day
Climate describes the typical weather conditions in an entire region for a very long time
what is a carbon footprint
The carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product,
service or event.
what can the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons lead to
the formation of small particles of carbon, which are called ‘particulates’, or ‘soot’
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide can be produced
what problems can particulates in the air cause
Cause respiratory problems as the particles damage our lungs
Forms clouds of smog which reflect light back to space which meaning less light reaches earth causing global dimming
how is carbon monoxide dangerous
- can stop blood carrying oxygen around the body
and it does this by binding to the haemoglobin that normally carries oxygen
can lead to fainting,coma or even death
- doesn’t have colour or smell so hard to detect
When burning fossil fuels, how is sulfur dioxide formed?
Sulfur is an impurity in some fossil fuels and is oxidised when they’re combusted
When burning fossil fuels in an engine, how are nitrogen oxides formed?
the nitrogen is oxidised by the high temperatures from the engine
what happens when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide mix
they form acid rain
what are effects of acid rain
- makes metal corrode
- damages buildings and statues
- kills plants
Other than acid rain, what problem is caused by sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen?
respiratory problems
what are carbon footprints
a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released over the full life cycle of something
why is measuring carbon foot print hard
there are so many different factors to consider
how can you reduce a carbon footprint
- renewable energy sources could be used
- gov could tax companies on the amount of greenhouse gas they emit
- gov can put a cap on emissions of all greenhouse gases
why is making reductions on carbon footprints still difficult
- renewable energy tech is expensive
- could impact growth of economies especially for NEEs
- difficult t make international agreements
how can ordinary people reduce their personal carbon footprint
- walk + cycle instead of drive
- reduce their air travel
- turn off lights,turn heating down
