Environmental Science - 1.1.2 - Change due to biota
how was oxygen produced in early stages of the earths atmosphere
through photosynthetic bacteria, algae and then plants
how has the prescence of the ozone layer maintained stability
produced by chemical reactions involving oxygen and UV light in the stratosphere, good because traps harmful UV rays from reaching the earth
how has production of oxygen maintained stability (4)
essential for respiration, formation of water, combustion, and formation of the ozone layer
how has carbon sequestration maintained stability
it is the process of storing carbon in stores or sinks, good because reduces greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere
how have biogeochemical cycles maintained stability
represents the circular pathways of nutrients that cycle through the spheres, good because allows nutrients to be available for ecosystems and maintains balance
what is the water cycle
series of processes by which water circulates between the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land.
what is the nitrogen cycle
circulation of nitrogen, a key component of nucleic and amino acids, maintains soil fertility and good for plant development and growth
what is the carbon cycle
moves carbon through the biosphere, important because regulates temperature by controlling carbon dioxide levels
what is transpiration
the return of water vapour to the atmosphere via evaporation from plants
how did transpiration cause environmental change
increased amount of rainfall in many areas making growth of plant life more abundant and possible
how did prescence of liquid water allow for life on earth (4 points)
solvent water
transport within organisms
temperature control
aquatic habitats
how did the temperature range allow for life on earth
most areas between 0-35 degrees, allows for liquid water and not denatured proteins
how did the prescence of atmospheric gases allow for life on earth
CO2 for photosynthesis and synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids
nitrogen for protein synthesis
how did solar insolation allow for life on earth
provides energy for photosynthesis
heat produced by absorption drives the water cycle and warms the earths surface/oceans
how has carbon sequestration caused environmental change
storage of carbon and consequential lower atmospheric co2 helped to prevent long term temperature rises even though the brightness of the sun increased yearly
what is proxy data
making an estimate about one factor using another which can be estimated or measured, because it can't be directly measured
why is proxy data limited
little reliability for ancient conditions, just an estimate so not entirely accurate
why is ancient historical data limited
data on atmospheric composition, temperature, and weather patterns may be unreliable due to lack of sophisticated equipment or lack of collection on a global scale
what is dendrochronology
use of width of tree rings showing the growth rate and indicating the temperature at the time is was made
what is palynology
study of pollen preserved in lake sediments to understand the climate that was present when it was produced