What are the proportions of the Earth's atmosphere?
About 4/5's nitrogen (80%), 1/5 oxygen (20%) & a small proportion of various other gasses such as carbon dioxide, water vapour and noble gasses
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What formed the Earth's early atmosphere?
During the first billion years of the Earth's existence there was intense volcanic activity, which released the gasses that formed the early atmosphere
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How were oceans formed?
Water vapour condensed to form the oceans
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What does one theory suggest about the formation of the Earth's early atmosphere that involves the atmospheres of Mars and Venus?
It suggest that the Earth's early atmosphere was mainly Carbon Dioxide and there would have been little or no oxygen gas (like the atmospheres of Mars and Venus). There may also have been water vapour and small proportions of methane and ammonia
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What is the Miller- Urey experiment and what was this theory supposed to prove/ give evidence to support?
The 'Primordial Soup'- suggests that life was formed by the interaction between hydrocarbons, ammonia and lightning
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What living organisms are thought to have produced the oxygen in the atmosphere now and how?
Plants and algae- photosynthesis which uses Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere
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Where did most of the carbon from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere become locked in?
Sedimentary rocks- carbonates and fossil fuels
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What do the oceans act as for carbon dioxide and what does increased levels of carbon dioxide do?
They act as reservoirs and carbon dissolved has an impact on the marine environment
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What, nowadays, increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
The combustion/ burning of fossil fuels
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What does a high % of carbon dioxide cause?
Global warming
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What is 'air' and how could it be filtered?
It is a mixture of gasses with different boiling points that can be fractionally distilled
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What formed the Earth's early atmosphere?
Back
During the first billion years of the Earth's existence there was intense volcanic activity, which released the gasses that formed the early atmosphere
Card 3
Front
How were oceans formed?
Back
Card 4
Front
What does one theory suggest about the formation of the Earth's early atmosphere that involves the atmospheres of Mars and Venus?
Back
Card 5
Front
What is the Miller- Urey experiment and what was this theory supposed to prove/ give evidence to support?
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