Early Atmosphere and Oceans
Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
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Printed: February 1, 2015
AUTHOR
Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
www.ck12.org
C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Early Atmosphere and Oceans
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Early Atmosphere and
Oceans
• Describe how Earth’s early atmosphere formed
• Explain how photosynthesis affected the atmosphere and life.
What did Earth look like at first?
The earliest Earth did not have an atmosphere or free water. The planet was far too hot for gases and water to collect.
The atmosphere and oceans that we see today evolved over time. The gases came from volcanic eruptions and from
comets.
Formation of the Atmosphere and Oceans
An atmosphere is the gases that surround a planet. The early Earth had no atmosphere. Conditions were so hot that
gases were not stable.
Earth’s First Atmosphere
Earth’s first atmosphere was different from the current one. The gases came from two sources. Volcanoes spewed
gases into the air. Comets carried in ices from outer space. These ices warmed and became gases. Nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, hydrogen, and water vapor, or water in gas form, were in the first atmosphere ( Figure 1.1). Take a look at
the list of gases. What’s missing? The early atmosphere had almost no oxygen.
FIGURE 1.1
Gases from Earth’s interior came through volcanoes and into the atmosphere.
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The Early Oceans
Earth’s atmosphere slowly cooled. Once it was cooler, water vapor could condense. It changed back to its liquid
form. Liquid water could fall to Earth’s surface as rain. Over millions of years water collected to form the oceans.
Water began to cycle on Earth as water evaporated from the oceans and returned again as rainfall.
Streams carry dissolved minerals. These ions make the oceans salty. Marine sedimentary rocks are found that are
four billion years old. The first oceans could have formed as early as 4.2 to 4.4 billion years ago!
The Later Atmosphere
Eventually plants evolved. Plants produce oxygen as a product of photosynthesis. Oxygen spread around the
planet about 2.5 billion years ago. Many organisms died off because they could not handle the oxygen. But this
development was extremely important for other life. Animals need oxygen to breathe. If photosynthesis had not
evolved there would be no animals.
Oxygen is needed to make ozone. Ozone is a molecule made of three oxygen ions. Ozone in the upper atmosphere
blocks harmful solar radiation from reaching the surface. Without oxygen, life on Earth would have been very
simple.
Summary
• Earth’s first atmosphere came from the planet’s interior. Gases also came from asteroids and comets from
elsewhere in the solar system.
• There was very little oxygen in the atmosphere until plants evolved. Oxygen allowed animals to evolve and
ozone to form.
• The first oceans formed when water rained out of the atmosphere into basins.
Practice
Use the resources below to answer the questions that follow.
• Earth’s Early Atmosphere at http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/geology/earths_primordial_environs
.html
1.
2.
3.
4.
What was the Earth’s early atmosphere like?
On the early planet, where might the energy have come from to generate chemical reactions?
What did the Miller-Urey experiment show regarding the development of early life on Earth?
Why was UV able to reach Earth’s surface?
• More About the Early Atmosphere at http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/past/earths_primordial_oce
an.html
5. What is the Goldilocks theory?
6. What was the source of Earth’s secondary atmosphere and what compounds were part of it?
7. Why do scientists believe that nitrogen dominates our current atmosphere?
Review
1. What were the sources of gases in Earth’s early atmosphere?
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Chapter 1. Early Atmosphere and Oceans
2. Where did oxygen come from? Why is oxygen so important for life on Earth?
3. How did the first oceans form?
References
1. John Loo. Gases from Earth’s interior came through volcanoes and into the atmosphere . CC BY 2.0
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