Early Atmoshpere Flashcards
How much oxygen in early atmosphere
Little-none
What do volcanoes release
Mainly co2 and water vapour
Bits of ammonia methane and nitrogen
Why was there little oxygen in early atmosphere
Volcanoes didn’t produce it
Iron compound found inside old rocks couldn’t have formed with oxygen
Formation of sea
Earth cooled, water vapour turned to sea
What reduced co2 in air
It dissolved into ocean, crustaceans used it to make shells of calcium carbonate
Early organisms began photosynthesising
Formation of sedimentary rock
Shells of Dead Sea creatures fell to bottom and under pressure and time compacted to form sedimentary rocks
What natural activity increases co2
Deforestation , fossil fuel
Nitrogen in air today
78%
Oxygen in air today
21%
Argon in air today
0.9%
Co2 in air today
0.04%
What natural activity increases sulfur dioxide
Volcanoes, fossil fuels
What natural activity increases nitrogen oxides
Lightning
What natural activity increases methane
Cattle and rice fields
