The atmosphere Flashcards
For millions of years, the earths surface was originally what?
Molten
What happened to the atmosphere in Phase 1 of the evolution of the earth
Boiled away into space as it was so hot
In phase 1 of the evolution of the earth, what eventually forms
Thin crust
Early oceans and atmospheres
What was the early atmosphere of Phase 1 of the evolution of the earth made up of
Mostly co2
Virtually no o2
Water Vapour
Small amounts of Methane and Ammonia
How did early oceans form
When the water vapour condensed
What happened in Phase 2 of the evolution of the atmosphere
Green plants and Algae evolved
What happened to a lot of the co2 in Phase 2 of the evolution of the earth
Dissolved into the earths oceans
How did green plants and algae affect the gases in the atmosphere
Took in co2 and produced o2 by photosynthesis
How does the earths carbon become “locked up” in sedimentary rocks
Plants and algae die and are buried under layers of sediment long with fossils of slowly-evolving marine organisms
What is the carbon “locked up” in sedimentary rocks as
Insoluble carbonates
Fossil fuels
Why does burning fossil fuels increase the level of co2in the atmosphere
Releasing the carbon locked up in sedimentary rocks
What happened to organisms on earth when oxygen began to build up in the atmosphere
Some were killed off because they couldn’t deal with the change
Some flourished and evolved
What was the atmosphere like in Phase 3 of the evolution of the earth
Virtually no co2
What did the increase of oxygen create in phase 3 of the evolution of the earth
Ozone layer
What did the ozone layer do
Blocked harmful rays from the sun
Allowed more complex organisms to evolve
What is the Primadorial soup
Body of water that life came from (part of a theory)
What does the Primadorial soup theory state
That billions of years ago the atmosphere was made up of Hydrogen Nitrogen Ammonia and Methane
How are amino acids formed according to the Primadorial soup theory
A lightning strike caused the gases in the atmosphere to chemically react and create amino acids
What happened to the amino acids that were created from the lightning strike in the Primadorial soup theory
Combined to become organic matter in the Primadorial soup and soon became simple living organisms
What happened in the 1950’s with the Primadorial soup theory
Miller and Urey conducted an experiment to prove the theory
What was Miller and Urey’s experiment
They sealed gas in the apparatus and heated them and applied an electrical current for a week
What was the results of Miller and Urey’s experiment
Made amino acids but not enough as to what’s on earth
What judgement can be made about Miller and Urey’s theory
Along the right lines but not completely right
Explain the Fractional Distillation of air
- Air filtered to remove dust
- Air cooled to -200 degrees, liquefied
- The water vapour condenses during this and is removed
- CO2 freezes during this and is removed
- Liquefied air is released into fractional distillation column where it is heated slowly
- Remaining gases are separated in the column where Oxygen and Argon come out together and are removed in a separate column
