The Atmosphere and Human Impact Quiz

Earth's Atmosphere and Human Impact

• Photosynthetic plants appeared 5 billion years ago, producing oxygen faster than it was removed by chemical reactions.
• Earth's atmosphere consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases like argon and carbon dioxide, as well as water vapor, dust, and industrial pollutants.
• The ozone layer, formed by the accumulation of oxygen, lies 9-19 miles above the Earth's surface and shields against harmful UV radiation.
• Human activities, such as releasing chlorofluorocarbons, are depleting the protective ozone layer, increasing UV radiation at the Earth's surface.
• Industrial and automotive pollution produce harmful ground-level ozone, causing irreversible lung damage.
• Human pollution, particularly the release of carbon dioxide, is contributing to global warming through the greenhouse effect.
• The greenhouse effect traps infrared radiation, making the Earth warmer, and is essential for sustaining life on Earth.
• Human activities have led to a rapid release of CO2 into the atmosphere, exceeding the natural removal processes.
• Recent evidence has shown that almost all CO2 added to the atmosphere since 1800 is due to human pollution, causing global warming.
• Climate change deniers' claims about natural cycles and Earth's climate history have been refuted by studies of tree growth rings.
• Studies of tree growth rings indicate that the Earth was cooling for most of the last 1,000 years until human intervention reversed this trend.
• Human intervention, particularly in the 20th century, has been the primary cause of the reversal of the Earth's cooling trend.