earths atmosphere

• early atmosphere ( 4.6 billions years ago )

  • volcanic activity releases water vapour , carbon dioxide , ammonia , methane and little nitrogen
  • the atmosphere was like todays venus and mars
• ammonia ( NH3 )
• methane ( CH4 )
• todays atmosphere

  • photosythesis of algae and plants reduce carbondioxide and increases oxygen
  • water vapour condenses to form oceans
  • carbon precipitates and gets locked in sedimentary rocks
  • oxygen leads to more evolution
  • bacteria breaks down dead plants and releases nitrogen
• 21 % oxygen
• 78 % nitrogen
• 1 % other
• greenhouse effect

  • high energy and short wavelengths of infared radiation from the sun gets absorbed by the earth
  • low energy and long wavelengths get reflected
• burning fossil fuels

  • fossil fuels contain carbon
  • sulfur impurities react with oxygen to produce sulfurdioxide which creates acid rain
• sulur impurities can be removed by calcium dioxide
• decomposition of rubbish and farming releases methane
• as the engines temperature increases , nitrogen reacts with oxgyen which produces nitrogenoxide which is toxic and causes acid rain
• alternate energy supplies

  • ccs ( carbon capture storage )
  • carbon tax and lisense
• coal is formed from the remains of trees
• 1. if leaves die in marshy wet lands they cannot decompose due to a lack of oxygen and acidic conditions these prevent bacteria from carrying outdecomposition
  2. overtime its covered in sediments and compressed
  3. high temperature and pressure creates coal
• crude oil

  • formed from plankton when the die they settle in mud
  • they are compressed over time with heat and pressure
• natural gas

  • mainly methane near deposits of oil
• green house gases

  • water vapour
  • carbon dioxide
  • methane
• greenhouse effect

  • most short wavelengths pass easily through the atmosphere because they dont interact strongly with the gas molecules in the atmosphere
  • the energy is absorbed when it reaches the surface of the earth
  • the surface radiated the energy as longwave radiation such as infrared ( absorbed )
  • some of the radiation interats with the gas molecules in the air
  • this causes the temperature to increase
• the greenhouse effects keep the temperature warm enough for organisms to survive
• effects of climate change

  • melting of ice increases sea levels which leads to flooding
  • storms in uk
  • change distribution of insects and change disease patterns
• carbon footprint

  • total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product
• • reducing methane by eating less beef
  • in landfill trap methane and burn it for electricity
• hydrocarbons power vehicles
• reducing carbondioxide emissions

  • insulating homes or turning down the heating
  • public transport
  • switching to renewable sources
• incomplete combustion

  • not enough oxygen to react with carbon so it produces carbonmonoxide
  • the carbonmonoxide attaches to the haemoglobin
  • carbonmonoxide is a colourless and ouderless gas