Chemistry of the Atmosphere-PAPER2 Flashcards
What is the first phase of the evolution of the atmosphere?
Volcanoes gave out gases such as nitrogen as well as water vapour methane and ammonia to add to the CO2 in the atmosphere. There was virtually no oxygen.
What is phase 2 of the evolution of the atmosphere?
Oceans, Algae and green plants absorbed CO2.
How did oceans form?
Water vapour condensing.
How did marine animals develop?
They evolved from green plants and algae. Their shells and skeletons contained carbonates from the oceans.
What is phase 3 of the evolution of the Atmosphere?
Green Plants and algae produced oxygen
As well as absorbing CO2 in the atmosphere what else did green plants and algae do?
Produced oxygen by photosynthesis (when plants use light to convert CO2 and water into sugars.
Eventually, due to plants, 200 million years ago the atmosphere….
Reached a composition similar to what it is today.
80% nitrogen
20% oxygen and very small amounts of other gases that make up less than 1 % of the atmosphere.
Describe how sedimentary rocks were formed?
When organic matter such as plant deposits or the shells and skeletons of dead marine animals fall to the seabed. These become buried and compressed by sediments over millions of years forming rocks.
Why is deforestation an atmospheric problem?
Fewer trees mean that less CO2 is removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.
How does agriculture affect the atmosphere?
More farm animals produce methane through their digestive processes.
Increasing CO2 is linked to…..?
Climate change
Why is Climate change such a big issue?
It increases global temperature meaning that polar ice caps melt and then sea levels will rise resulting in flooding and coastal erosion.
May affect rainfall, which affects some countries abilities to produce food.
State two things that governments can do to reduce the greenhouse emissions of business
Issue licenses to businesses for set amounts of emissions.
Impose taxes on companies according to the amount of greenhouse gas that they emit.
Name 3 greenhouse gases.
CO2, Water vapour and methane.
Why are fossil fuels bad for pollution?
They release CO2 and water vapour into the atmosphere.
