Unit 5

5.5. Atmosphere and Climate

 atmosphere

In your notebook photosynthesis Key Terms

recycle
5.5 Atmosphere and Climate
emissions
fossil fuels
deforestation
locked up
analogy

greenhouse effect

global warming

renewable resources

bioplastics

biodegradable
Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

1. Describe the composition of the atmosphere today and in the past.

2. Describe how a change in the atmosphere can change the climate.
3. Give some of the causes and effects of global warming.
4. Interpret data
5. Give an example of an analogy.
Our Atmosphere
Today

We a re g o in g to
e xp lo re the Ea rth’s
Atm o sp he re
The early atmosphere
The early atmosphere
The atmosphere is a layer of gas above the Earth’s surface. It is very different today
from the atmosphere when the Earth formed billions of years ago.

Scientists think that the Earth was formed about 4600 million years ago. The Earth was
very hot and it was molten for millions of years. Then, as the Earth cooled, a solid
crust formed. There was a lot of volcanic activity, much more than there is now.

The volcanoes produced gases, which formed the early atmosphere. Water vapour
was produced by the volcanoes and, as the Earth cooled, this water vapour
condensed into liquid water. The water fell as rain and formed the first lakes and
oceans.
The early atmosphere

Ab o u t 40 0 0 m illio n ye a rs a g o , sc ie n tists thin k tha t the a tm o sp he re

c o n ta in e d m a in ly c a rb o n d io xid e , little o r n o o xyg e n , sm a ll a m o u n ts o f
the g a se s m e tha n e a n d a m m o n ia , a n d so m e w a te r va p o u r. This e a rly
a tm o sp he re o n Ea rth w a s like the a tm o sp he re o n Ve n u s is to d a y.

The te m p e ra tu re o n Ve n u s is ve ry hig h – o n the su rfa c e , it is w hic h is ho t

e n o u g h to m e lt le a d
composition of gases in the atmosphere
Questions

LMS w o rkshe e t
1. Where did the early atmosphere on Earth come from?

2. Give at least two differences between the early atmosphere on

Earth and the atmosphere today

3. Explain why the Earth’s early atmosphere was not suitable for us or any
other animals
Changes to the
a tm o sp he re
How did we go from a volcanic planet
to the b lu e p la n e t?
Changes in the atmosphere

Ab o u t 350 0 m illio n ye a rs a g o , m ic ro -o rg a n ism s d e ve lo p e d o n Ea rth.

The y live d in the o c e a n s a n d u se d the c a rb o n d io xid e in the a tm o sp he re

to m a ke fo o d . The y p ro d u c e d o xyg e n a s a w a ste p ro d u c t o f this p ro c e ss.
As p la n ts d e ve lo p e d o ve r m illio n s o f ye a rs, the y b e g a n to g ro w o n la n d .

Pla n ts u se c a rb o n d io xid e to p ro d u c e fo o d (g lu c o se , a su g a r) b y the

p ro c e ss o f p ho to syn the sis.
c a rb o n d io xid e + w a te r → g lu c o se + o xyg e n

The le ve ls o f o xyg e n in the a tm o sp he re c o n tin u e d to rise . Sc ie n tists kn o w

this b e c a u se the re w a s e n o u g h o xyg e n to c o m b in e w ith iro n in the ro c ks
to fo rm iro n o xid e . By 20 0 m illio n ye a rs a g o the re w a s ve ry little c a rb o n
d io xid e le ft in the a tm o sp he re . Mo st o f the c a rb o n ha d b e e n u se d to
m a ke the c he m ic a ls, w hic h a re p a rt o f a ll livin g thin g s.
Changes in the atmosphere

Whe n the o rg a n ism s d ie a n d ro t, the c a rb o n in the m is re le a se d b a c k in to the

e n viro n m e n t. It is re c yc le d . So m e o rg a n ism s d o n o t ro t w he n the y d ie a n d a re
tu rn e d in to fo ssil fu e ls su c h a s o il o r c o a l. The c a rb o n is lo c ke d u p in the fo ssil
fu e ls u n til the y a re b u rn e d the m . Ma n y o rg a n ism s w ith she lls e vo lve d a ro u n d 60 0
to 40 0 m illio n ye a rs a g o .

The she lls a re m a d e fro m c a lc iu m c a rb o n a te , Ca CO 3 . Whe n the se she lle d

a n im a ls d ie d a n d fe ll to the b o tto m o f the o c e a n s a s se d im e n t the m a n y la ye rs
o f she lls p re ssin g d o w n o n e a c h o the r fo rm e d ro c ks, su c h a s lim e sto n e . So
c a rb o n is a lso lo c ke d u p in the se ro c ks
The origins of
life o n Ea rth
4. What are fossil fuels?

5. How did the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere get used up?
6. What two elements are present in carbon dioxide?

A Helium
B Oxygen
C Nitrogen
D Carbon
7. What evidence is there that the levels of oxygen rose

8. What three elements are present in calcium carbonate?

A Carbon

B Hydrogen

C Oxygen

D Calcium
9. Limestone is a sedimentary rock. How is it formed?

10. When did carbon first start to be locked up?

Atmospheric
c ha n g e s to d a y
 Atmospheric changes today
The a m o u n t o f c a rb o n d io xid e in the a tm o sp he re fe ll u n til a b o u t 20 0 ye a rs a g o .
The n the le ve ls o f c a rb o n d io xid e b e g a n to rise . Whe re is the c a rb o n d io xid e c o m in g fro m ?

Hu m a n s c a u se d this rise b e c a u se the y sta rte d to re le a se the c a rb o n tha t ha d b e e n lo c ke d u p

in the Ea rth fo r m illio n s o f ye a rs.

The y b u rn fo ssil fu e ls, su c h a s o il a n d c o a l, to ke e p the m se lve s w a rm .

c a rb o n + o xyg e n → c a rb o n d io xid e

As hu m a n s d e ve lo p e d in d u stry a n d tra n sp o rt, the y ha ve b u rn e d m o re a n d m o re o il a n d c o a l.

So the re a re g re a te r e m issio n s o f c a rb o n d io xid e .

Hu m a n s u se a lo t o f fo ssil fu e ls to g e n e ra te e le c tric ity in p o w e r sta tio n s hu m a n s a lso m a ke the

situ a tio n w o rse a s the y c u t d o w n fo re sts o f la rg e e sta b lishe d tre e s tha t u se a lo t o f c a rb o n
d io xid e in p ho to syn the sis.
Atmospheric changes today
This d e fo re sta tio n is d o n e fo r m a n y re a so n s: to u se the w o o d fo r b u ild in g o r
to m a ke thin g s, to g e t to re so u rc e s su c h a s m in e ra ls w hic h a re m in e d , to
p ro d u c e c ro p s fo r p ro fit su c h a s p a lm o il, to g ro w m o re fo o d c ro p s, o r to
p ro vid e p a stu re s fo r a n im a ls su c h a s c a ttle .

Be c a u se the re a re fe w e r tre e s, le ss o f the c a rb o n d io xid e is b e in g u se d u p , so

the le ve l in the a tm o sp he re in c re a se s. Ca ttle e a t the g ra ss a n d p ro d u c e
c a rb o n d io xid e a n d g a se s su c h a s m e tha n e in the ir in te stin e s. This a lso
c ha n g e s the a tm o sp he re .

Whe n lim e sto n e , w hic h c o n sists o f c a lc iu m c a rb o n a te , is u se d to m a ke o the r

p ro d u c ts su c h a s b u ild in g c e m e n t, the c a rb o n in the c a lc iu m c a rb o n a te is
re le a se d in to the a tm o sp he re . c a lc iu m c a rb o n a te c a lc iu m o xid e + c a rb o n
d io xid e All the se thin g s le a d to a c ha n g e in the a tm o sp he re a n d a n in c re a se
in c a rb o n d io xid e le ve ls
Atmospheric changes
a n d c lim a te
Climate Time Machine
What is the greenhouse effect?

Wha t c a u se s the g re e n ho u se
e ffe c t?
Global Warming
In your notebook,draw a spider diagram
write down as many causes for global
warming you can think of
 Atmospheric changes and climate

The re is e vid e n c e tha t the c a rb o n d io xid e a n d o the r g a se s, su c h a s m e tha n e , a c t like a b la n ke t

a ro u n d the Ea rth.

This is a n analogy. The ‘blanket’ represents the gases that keep the Earth warm. Another analogy is
that the gases are like putting the Earth in a greenhouse.

A greenhouse lets in light and heat from the Sun, but heat energy is trapped inside
The layers of gases produce the greenhouse effect.

This is a natural effect; without it, the Earth would be much colder. However, increasing the levels
of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour, increases the
greenhouse effect.

So, as the levels of carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour increase, the amount of heat
escaping decreases, and so the Earth’s climate becomes warmer. This is known as global warming.
Reducing Global
Wa rm in g
 Global
Warming
What causes it ?

How can we reduce it?

Renewable resources
In your notebook,draw a spider diagram
write down as many renewable energy
resources you can think of
 Can you think of Can you think of
some some
Wind advantages? disadvantages?

No fossil fuels Location specific

Wind turbines are grouped together
to generate electricity No harmful Need a lot to generate
waste product power

Birds

Noise

Are the re a n y w in d fa rm s
in Vie tn a m ?
 Tidal Can you think of
some
advantages?
Can you think of
some
disadvantages?

Tides make water rise and fall twice a day Uses tides
Only certain times of
(movement of
the day
Water gets trapped in river estuaries behind water) to generate
a barrier and then generate electricity by releasing electricity Wildlife habitats
the water to flow through electricity generator No harmful waste
turbines as the tide goes out. product

Are the re a n y tid a l p o w e r

sta tio n s in Vie tn a m ?
 Solar
Can you think of any Can you think of any
advantages? disadvantages?

No harmful
The energy from the Sun can be used to waste
Depends on the
weather
generate electricity. Photovoltaic cells
can convert solar energy to electrical
energy
 Bioplastics
What are
bioplastics
Other
re n e w a b le What is plastic
re so u rc e s made of?

What is single-use How long does it take for Draw another spider diagram
plastic? plastic to breakdown? How can we reduce our plastic
use?
 Check your
understanding
I can:
❏ I can describe how the Earth’s climate has changed in the past
❏ I can explain the difference between ice ages, glacial and
interglacial periods
❏ I can give some evidence that the Earth’s climate cycles between
colder and warmer periods