Earth's Atmosphere Flashcards
Describe the Earth’s early atmosphere
- Contains little oxygen
- Has a large amount of CO2
- Contains water vapour
- Other gasses (eg. nitrogen) are present in smaller amounts
What caused the Earth’s early atmosphere to be how it was?
Lots of volcanic activity
How were Earth’s oceans formed?
By the condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere which then formed the oceans through precipitation
How was the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere affected by the formation of oceans?
It significantly reduced from much of it being dissolved into the oceans
How did the first growth of primitive plants affect Earth’s atmosphere?
They used up CO2 and produced oxygen by photosynthesis, slowly increasing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
What is the greenhouse effect?
The reradiation of heat from the Sun back onto the Earth by greenhouse gasses
Name 3 greenhouse gasses
- CO2
- Methane
- Water vapour
How is acid rain formed?
When sulphur dioxide dissolves in the air to become sulphuric acid
Name 3 problems caused by acid rain
- Damages plant leaves, reducing their rate of photosynthesis
- Causes rivers to become slightly acidic
- Corrodes buildings
What type of acid is acid rain?
Sulphuric acid
What evidence is there for climate change?
CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and global temperatures have risen alongside fossil fuel consumption
Describe the modern atmosphere of the Earth
- 78% nitrogen
- 21% oxygen
- 1% everything else (eg. argon, CO2)
Describe two factors that have caused the increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere
- Burning fossil fuels, leading to more CO2
- Livestock (mostly cows), leading to more methane