Term 4- The Atmosphere Flashcards
What is the greenhouse effect?
The green house effect is resultant of the greenhouse gases that naturally occur in the earths atmosphere. Such as Carbon Dioxide and Methane.
The suns short high energy waves of sunlight hit the earths surfaces, passing through the ozone.
Incoming energy is converted into and heat and changes the short wavelengths into long infrared waves lengths that are reflected back into space. However, the presence of green house gases in the ozone absorb the radiation and reflect some of it back to earth.
What are green house gases?
Green house gases have the ability to reflect energy of wavelengths over compounds would miss
What causes Global Warming?
The cause of global warming is the enhanced greenhouse effect, when the atmosphere prevents heat from escaping, meaning more energy enters than leaves; raising the temperature of the earth’s surface
What is the Ozone?
The ozone is a natural gas comprised of 3 oxygen atoms. Formed with UV radiation spilts oxygen molecules
What is the purpose of Ozone?
The ozone layer in the stratosphere acts to prevent harmful UV rays from reaching the earth’s surface
How does the depletion of the ozone lead to global warming?
The depletion of the ozone means that more energy can reach the earth’s surface, but the increased presence of greenhouse gases prevents the heat from escaping
What is the main depletant of the ozone? What is their cause an how long do they last?
Chloroflurocarbons CFC’s caused being Refrigerants and Aerosols lasting 65 years
What produces Carbon Dioxide? How long does it last?
The burning of fossil fuels 50-200 years
What produces methane?
Coal mining, Domestic animals and Biomass Burning
How can Carbon Dioxide be converted to Oxygen?
Photosynthesis in plants
6CO2 +2H20 => C6H1206 + 6O2
