The Origin of The Earth's Atmosphere: Still Many Uncertainties

The Origin of the Earth’s
Atmosphere
Still Many Uncertainties ….

About 4.5 billion
years ago, Earth
formed out of
nebula of gases and
dust that were to
become the solar
system
Small objects--called
planetoids-- accreted or
combined together to build
larger objects…such as planets
The First Atmosphere
• The early atmosphere would have been similar to
the Sun--mainly hydrogen and helium, but this
atmosphere was lost quickly for two reasons:
– (1) The gravity of the modest size earth was not strong
enough to prevent such light gases from escaping to
space. Particularly since the early earth was hot!
– (2) It appears that around 30 million years after the
earth’s formation, it was struck by a large object…the
size of Mars. The result: the origin of the moon and
loss of earth’s early H, He atmosphere.
Formation of Moon from the
Debris of the Collision
Earth as Hell
• The surface of the earth during this period
was extremely hot with numerous
volcanoes
• The earth was under near constant
bombardment by objects of varying sizes
• Slowly, the earth started to cool down and
the second atmosphere began to form.
Earth’s Second Atmosphere
• A new atmosphere was established by the
outgasing of volcanoes…the mixture of gases was
probably similar to those of today’s volcanoes:
• H20 vapor (roughly 80%)
• CO2 (roughly 10%)
• N2 (few percent)
• Small amounts of CO, HCL, HS (Hydrogen
Sulfide), SO2, CH4 (Methane), Ammonia (NH3),
and other trace gases.
Earth’s Second Atmosphere
• Virtually no oxygen in that second atmosphere.
• Thus, no ozone layer, so ultraviolet radiation
flooded the earth’s surface.
• With a huge influx of water vapor and the cooling
of the planet, clouds and earth’s oceans formed.
• At that time the sun was about 30% weaker than
today…why didn’t the earth freeze over?
• The apparent reason: so much CO2 so there was a
very strong greenhouse effect.
The Rise of Oxygen and the Third
Atmosphere
• In the first two billion years of the planet’s evolution, the
atmosphere acquired a small amount of oxygen, probably by the
splitting of water (H20) molecules by solar radiation.
• The evidence of this oxygen is suggested by minor rust in some
early rocks.
• The oxygen also led to the establishment of an ozone layer that
reduced UV radiation at the surface.
• With the rise of photosynthetic bacteria (cyanobacteria) and early
plants, oxygen levels began to rise rapidly as did indications of
rust in rocks
• Between 2.5 billion years ago to about 500 bya, 0 2 rose to near
current levels.
The Third Atmosphere
• While O2 was increasing, CO2 decreased
due to several reasons:
• (1) In photosynthesis CO2 is used to
produce organic matter, some of which is
lost to the system (e.g., drops to the bottom
of the ocean or is buried)
• (2) chemical weathering, which removes
CO2
Chemical Weathering
• H20 + CO2 --> H2CO3 carbonic acid
• CaSiO3 + H2CO3 --> CaCO3 + SiO2 + H20
Silicate Rock Carbonate
• At first this happened without life, but the process was sped
up tremendously by living organisms
• Marine organisms would incorporate carbonate into their
shells, which would fall to the ocean bottom when they
died---thus, removing them from the system for a long time.
• The bottom line…CO2 was being removed from the system.
More Changes
• Sulfur compounds were taken out of the
atmosphere as acid rain and were deposited
on the ground as sulfates.
• N2 gas increased slowly but progressively
since it was relatively inert.
• Current composition of the atmosphere was
established approximately a billion years
ago.
A Problem
• With lower CO2 levels the earth became more
susceptable to ice ages when solar radiation
decreases due to orbital variations,
• It appears that around 750-550 million years ago
the earth cooled down and became nearly entirely
glaciated.
• Note: one can get into a feedback with snow
reflecting solar radiation, producing cooler
temperatures and more snow, leading to less
radiation, etc.
How Did We Get UnFrozen?
• Volcanoes were still putting CO2 into the
atmosphere
• Weathering was greatly reduced…since
little liquid water.
• So CO2 increased until the greenhouse
effect was so large the earth warmed up.
• Once warming started it would have
happened very rapidly.
The Last 500 million Years
• The climate has not been constant, with
warm periods interrupted by ice ages.
• Much of the variability forced by changing
solar radiation due to periodic changes in
the earth’s orbital characteristics and tilt
(Milankovitch cycles) and major volcanic
eruptions (putting out massive CO2 that
caused warming.
More Snowball Earths?
• Less chance now
• Sun is getting progressively stronger
• Human’s can now stop it (increasing
greenhouse gases)
Atmospheres of Other Planets
Mercury
No Atmosphere
96% CO2
Sulfuric acid clouds
Surface temp: 900F
(470 C)
Surface pressure:
90 times greater than
earty
Venus
Venus
Beneath
The
Clouds
From
Radar
Earth
Surface Pressure: ~6 hPa
Mostly (96%)CO2, small
amounts of
H20 vapor
CO2 and H20 polar ice
Lots of dust
Average T: -80F but warmer
near equator in summer
(70F)
Mars
Water once flowed
on the surface
Martian
Clouds
Atmospher
e
Mainly
hydrogen
(90%)
And
helium
Jupiter
No solid surface
Jupiter’s atmosphere has jets and storms (e.g. red spot)
75 H2 and 25% HE
Saturn
Neptune
Both Gas Giants (H2 and He)
Uranus
Structure of the Atmosphere
Earth’s Atmosphere Is a Thin Veneer
Earth’s radius is about 6400 km
(3840 miles)
Nearly all of the atmosphere is

contained in the layer from the
surface to 100 km. Habitable
atmosphere only the first 5 km.
So the habitable atmosphere is

only 5/6400 km….00078 ….or
1/1280th of the distance to the
earth’s center. Much thinner than
the peel on an orange.
stratosphere
troposphere
Noctilucent
Clouds

The Origin of The Earth's Atmosphere: Still Many Uncertainties

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The Origin of The Earth's Atmosphere: Still Many Uncertainties

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The Origin of the Earth’s

Still Many Uncertainties ….

Both Gas Giants (H2 and He)

Nearly all of the atmosphere is

So the habitable atmosphere is

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