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Atmosphere and Climate > Lecture 2 > Flashcards

Lecture 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What is the surface pressure of the earth?

A

1 (atm)

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2
Q

What are the 2 main constituents of the earth?

A

N2 (78%) and O2 (21%)

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3
Q

When did the earth’s first atmosphere exist?

A

existed 4.6-4.0 bill years ago

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4
Q

Was there oceans in the earths first atmosphere?

A

No

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5
Q

What eroded the earths first atmosphere?

A

Solar wind and cosmic rays

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6
Q

What contributed to the break down of NH3 and CH4, freeing N and H?

A

Surface heat

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7
Q

In which stage of the atmosphere did the earth cool and develop a solid crust?

A

Earths ‘second’ atmosphere

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8
Q

What activity contributed to the formation of magnetic field capable of deflecting solar wind and cosmic rays?

A

Convective Magma activity

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9
Q

What type of activity formed in the earths ‘2nd’ atmosphere that was linked to outgassing and contributed to the high atmospheric temperatures (>100 degrees Celsius) ?

A

Volcanic activity

Also tectonic activity, due to frictional heating from meteorite impacts and strong GH effect

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10
Q

When did oceans form and what caused the formation? (3 causes)

A

3.8-3.9 bil years ago

  • Temperature cooled below 100 –> condensation of water vapour and precipitation became possible
  • Expansion of oceans acted as sink for atmospheric CO2
  • Anaerobia bacteria began to develop in deep ocean near volcanic hydrothermal vents
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11
Q

What allowed the ozone layer to form 1 billion years ago?

A

The saturation of the ocean with oxygen, + subsequently O2 could accumulate in the atmosphere

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12
Q

What appeared 3.8-3.5 bil years ago as the 1st O2 producing organisms? (Photosynthesis)

A

Prokaryote Cyanobacteria (‘blue-green algae’)

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13
Q

How deep did the prokaryote Cyanobacteria live in the ocean to be protected from harmful radiation but still within the range of sunlight?

A

75m

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14
Q

How many years ago did present day atmosphere occur?

A

400 mil years ago

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15
Q

What are 2 essential requirements for plant life on land?

A

Ozone layer and protection from harmful solar radiation

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16
Q

What does CO2 + H2O + sunlight lead to…

A

Organic compounds + oxygen (O2)

17
Q

Atmospheric pressure is the consequence of…

A

The atmospheres own weight

18
Q

What percentage of atmospheric mass is below 10km?

A

90%

19
Q

What satellite orbits the Earth at the same rate as the earth rotates, thus remaining stationary on a single line of longitude?

A

Geosynchronous (GEO)

20
Q

Name the four atmospheres in order of lowest (nearest to surface) to highest?

A

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

21
Q

When an air parcel rises, what happens?

A

It expands and cools

22
Q

When air descends, what happens?

A

It compresses and warms

23
Q

What are the 3 basic laws of thermodynamics?

A
  1. Energy can be transformed but not destroyed
  2. Heat can never pass spontaneously from a colder to a hotter body; a temp change can never occur spontaneously in a body at uniform temperature
  3. Systems tend towards equilibrium, a random distribution of energy over time
24
Q

What are the two layers of the vertical structure? (Functionality)

A

Upper - ionosphere (>50km) - ions created by solar UV radiation
Lower - ozone layer (ozonosphere) (approx 20-50km)

25
Q

What’s the homosphere (extends from sea level to mesopause) composed of?

A

Mixing ratio of oxygen to nitrogen, as well as long lived trace gases

26
Q

What’s happens in the heterosphere (above 80km)?

A

Altitude molecular separation - due to gravitation with the heaviest molecules at the bottom and the lightest at the top

27
Q

What is the air made up of?

A

78% nitrogen (N2)
21% oxygen (O2)
Remaining 1% = argon + GHGs

Abundance of water vapour = depends on physical properties (temp) and is highly variable

28
Q

What is a particulate?

A

Suspended solids/liquid droplets other than H2O droplets/ice crystals

29
Q

What are aerosols?

A

Mixture of air with suspended particulates

30
Q

What are the effects of particulates in the atmosphere?

A

Reduction in visibility (haze) - scatters incoming light and absorbs outgoing thermal radiation

31
Q

What is the mean surface temperature of the earth?

A

288 (k), equivalent to 15 degrees Celsius

Atmosphere and Climate (9 decks)

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