The evolution of the atmosphere: the story and the evidence
Issue 347 | Page 59 | Published Dec 2012
Description
The Earth's primary atmosphere, which was similar to that of the gas giant planets, was soon lost, and a secondary atmosphere was established by outgassing from the early Earth and from colliding debris. The composition of this atmosphere was probably similar to present-day volcanic emissions but with a tiny percentage of photochemically produced oxygen. In this atmosphere, early anaerobic bacterial life evolved, including photosynthesising cyanobacteria that produced oxygen.
More from this issue
The'issue' of there being only limited time available to teachers for the development of teaching and learning resources has been with...
To those of us who believe that a scientific approach to Earth science should be part of the education of every child, the answer is clear Earth...
The Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) Chemistry programme and many A-level Chemistry examination specifications require students to...