The Evolving Atmosphere Flashcards
Name three places that carbon can be stored as a result of consuming glucose.
new plant material
Animal Tissue
Skeletons and Shells
What happens to the skeletons and shells that settled on the ocean floor?
They become sedimentary carbonate rocks like Limestone (CaCO3)
What happened to the remains that were heated and crushed within the earth’s crust
They formed fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil)
What is coal?
A sedimentary rock formed from deposits of dead plant material that has been compressed over millions of years.
How were crude oil and gas formed?
Plankton remains deposited in mud and covered in sediment rock and compressed.
How did the oceans remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide dissolved in the water to form metal oxides and carbonate compounds.
What is the name of the process that maintains carbon levels in the atmosphere?
The carbon cycle
What happened to the methane and ammonia released by volcanoes?
They reacted with oxygen to form water and more CO2
Why did the levels of nitrogen rise?
Nitrogen is an un-reactive gas.
What is the composition of today’s atmosphere?
78% nitrogen 21% Oxygen Argon, Carbon Dioxide Other gases (noble gases)
