The evolution of the atmosphere

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  • Created by: Aleena
  • Created on: 01-01-13 20:20
For how many years has the Earths atmosphere been the same as it is today?
2 million
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How much nitrogen is there?
80%
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How much oxygen is there?
20%
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There are small proportions of...
other gases including Carbon dioxide, water vapour and noble gases.
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During the first billion years of the Earth's existance there was...
Intense volcanic activity.
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This activity...
released the gases that formed the early atmosphere and water vapour that condensed to form the oceans.
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Plants and algae evolved and produced...
oxygen
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A lot of the early carbon dioxidedissolved into the ...
oceans
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The green plants and algae also absorbed some of the...
Carbon dioxide and produced oxygen by photosynthesis
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Plants and algae died and were buried under layers of...
sediment along with the skeletons of shells of marine organisms that had slowly evolved.
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Most of the carbon from the carbon dioxide in the air gradually became...
locked up in sedimentary rocks as carbonates and fossil fuels
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Carbon dioxide dissolves...
in the ocean
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The oceans also act as a reservoir for carbon dioxide but...
increased amounts of carbon dioxide absorbed by the oceans has an impact on the marine environment.
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Nowadays the release of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels increases...
the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide causes global warming
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Air is a mixture of...
gases
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The gases have different...
boiling points
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The gases can be fractionally distilled to provide...
a source of raw materials used in a variety of industrial processes.
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One theory of how the atmosphere was formed suggests...
that during this period the Earth’s atmosphere was mainly carbon dioxide and there would have been little or no oxygen gas (like the atmospheres of Mars & Venus today). There may also have been water vapour and small proportions of methane & ammonia
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

How much nitrogen is there?

Back

80%

Card 3

Front

How much oxygen is there?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

There are small proportions of...

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

During the first billion years of the Earth's existance there was...

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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