Science Oly. Quiz #2

---Meteorology - Composition and evolution of Earth's atmosphere--- Was 'Early Earth's' atmospheric composition different or the same as ours today?  

• A.

  Different

• B.

  Same

• C.

  Unknown by scientists

The gasses make up our atmosphere. What are they?

• A.

  Carbon Dioxide (78%), Nitrogen (21%), Oxygen (0.03%), Other (the rest)

• B.

  Oxygen (78%), Nitrogen (21%), Carbon Dioxide (0.03%), Other (the rest)

• C.

  Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), Carbon Dioxide (0.03%), Other (the rest)

• D.

  Carbon Dioxide (78%), Oxygen (21%), Nitrogen (0.03%), Other (the rest)

• E.

  Oxygen (78%), Carbon Dioxide (21%), Nitrogen (0.03%), Other (the rest)

• F.

  Nitrogen (78%), Carbon Dioxide (21%), Oxygen (0.03%), Other (the rest)

The gasses in the First Atmosphere in Earth were H2 and He. Why did it change?

• A.

  They were lost into space.

• B.

  They changed into the current gasses.

• C.

  They simply disappeared.

• D.

  Unknown by Scientists.

Why were they lost into space?

• A.

  A meteor struck the Earth around the time the gasses disappeared, resulting in them being literally 'blown' off the Earth.

• B.

  Earth's gravity is not strong enough to hold lighter gases

• C.

  The aliens came and took them away.

• D.

  Earth still did not have a differentiated core (solid inner/liquid outer core) which creates Earth's magnetic field (magnetosphere = Van Allen Belt) which deflects solar winds.

Second Atmosphere - Produced by Volcanic Out gassing... Gases produced were probably _______ to those created by modern volcanoes (H₂O, CO₂, SO₂, CO, S₂, Cl₂, N₂, H₂) and NH₃ (ammonia) and CH₄ (methane)

Iron (Fe) is a very abundant element in the earth's crust so much is released by the chemical disintegration of minerals contained in rocks.

• A.

  True

• B.

  False

Oxygen was dominating the atmosphere of early Earth so photosynthesis would have created a net gain of oxygen first in the ocean and later in the atmosphere. Eventually with less oxygen in the atmosphere respiration would have balanced photosynthesis except when burial removed the organic material from the oxygenated water or air. Before oxygen could thin out in the atmosphere it must have oxidized reduced ions in seawater.

• A.

  True

• B.

  False

What caused the Earth's Oceans to form?

• A.

  Certain gasses in the atmosphere began to become heavier and began to fall towards the earth, turning into water.

• B.

  Water first was brought here by a meteor that struck Earth, and then it began to build up.

• C.

  As the Earth cooled, H2O produced by out gassing could exist as liquid in the Early Archean, allowing oceans to form.

• D.

  Huge glacial deposits that existed long ago melted as ice ages began to go away.