Zusammenfassung der Ressource
C1.7.2 The Earth's atmosphere
- For 200 million years, the proportions of gases have been the same as today
- about four-fifths (80%) nitrogen
- one-fifth (20%) oxygen
- small proportions of
- carbon dioxide
- water vapour
- other noble gases
- first billion years of Earth's existence
- intense volcanic activity
- which released the gases that formed the early atmosphere
- and water vapour that condensed to form the oceans
- theories about the formation of the atmosphere
- (we only need to know one)
- during first billion of year period
- atmos was mainly carbon dioxide with little/ no oxygen
- like Mars or Venus today
- maybe also water vapour an a lil methane and ammonia
- plants and algae produced oxygen that is now in atmos. and
use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis
- most of carbon 'locked up' in sedimentary rocks as carbonates and fossil fuels
- carbon dioxide also dissolves in oceans
- limestone formed from shells and skeletons of marine organisms
- the remains of these contain carbon and hydrocarbons: are fossil fuels
- the oceans act as a reservoir for it, but increased
amounts impact on marine environment
- too acidic for coral and shellfish
- nowadays, fossilfuels --> releases
CO2 --> causes global warming
- Air is a mixture of gases with diff boiling points
- fractionally distilled top provide source of raw materials for use in industrial processes
- 1) air is filtered to remove dust
- 2) cooled to around -200 degrees, to a liquid
- during which water vap condenses and is removed
- 3) C02 freezes, is removed
- 4) liquefied air enters fractioning column + slowly heated
- 5) remaing gases separated by fractional distillation
- oxygen and argon come out together- so another column separates them
- many theories as to how life developed
- one: interaction between hydrocarbons, ammonia and lightning
- supported by Milley-Urey experiment
- sealed gases in apparatus, heated, applied electrical charge for a week
- amino acids made, but not as many as there are on Earth
- suggesting theory isn't quite there
- 1) lightning- chem recation between gases- amino acids
- joined together in primordial swamp, a.as join together- organic matter- eventually simple living organisms
- a body of water from which life eventually crawled