Brief History of Earth
Earth has a rather long and turbulent history. Were not sure how old it is, but its been around for at least five billion years. Scientists think that the Earth started out in a hot soup of melted rocks called magma (magma is what well-known volcano like Mount Vesuvius would have come from). The Earth cooled down over the course of billions of years and so now we cant see any magma anymore.
Natural Cycles and Resources
There are a number of crucial cycles built into the nature of the resources of our planet. They are:
1. The Water Cycle
Water moves from the oceans (evaporation), into the atmosphere in the form of water vapor. These vapors collect in the clouds in the form of water droplets (condensation) and then come back into the oceans again as rain (precipitation).
2. The Carbon Cycle
Carbon moves between plants, animals, rocks and soil through photosynthesis (turning light energy into chemical energy) and respiration (those biotic processes that use chemical energy). If we go back far enough in time, we can find very little carbon in the air for example it was believed to be at one point so low that there was no oxygen for single-celled organisms to breathe.
Question: What is the importance of Carbon on earth?
Answer: All living organisms on the earth are made of carbon. Carbon compounds are basis of any living thing on this planet. To know more about its importance and different forms in which it exists, visit https://youtube.com/channel/UCoqI7C9rI2UbFPITF2bPgnQ.
3. The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen moves in the air through the action of lightning and other natural processes. It then collects as nitrates and fixed nitrogen in soils, and plays a key role in green plants using energy from the Sun to make food, or the storage of energy in seeds that germinate into new plants. The bacteria that help in breaking down atmospheric nitrogen is called rhizome bacteria.
The Earth’s Resources
The Earth has a number of resources - resources that humans have used to build their societies, their homes and economics. The resources are:
1. Sunlight - The light from the Sun, many of our planets resources rely on sunlight, the creation of solar energy systems and the growth of crops.
2. Water - The liquid that covers most of our planet is used in great context for all sorts of things including growing food, drinking water, washing and bathing, making electricity, etc.
3. Land - Land can be divided into different forms such as jungle or desert land but even then, its a very small proportion compared to sea levels. Land can also be turned into a variety of useful things such as farms and animal feed that we need for making technology and building materials.
4. Air - Fresh air is arguably the most important thing that humans have to have in order to survive.
5. Energy - Energy is used in the production of many products including medicine, transportation and communication systems etc. Its something that humans have always relied on in order to do things better than by natural means.
6. Minerals- These are the basic building blocks of life. Theyre found deep down in earths crust. They are processed into different products that are of importance for the economic development of a country. For example, gold, iron, cobalt, copper etc.
7. Petroleum: This is a fossil fuel that humans have been using for a long time. Its used as a source of energy for heating and transportation etc.
Question: What are renewable and non-renewable resources?
Answer: Renewable resources are those which do not get depleted after continuous use. Example, water, sunlight and air. Non-renewable resources are those which are finite and will be depleted if not used carefully. Example, coal, mineral and petroleum. To get elaborate classification of these resources, visit https://youtube.com/channel/UCoqI7C9rI2UbFPITF2bPgnQ.
The Earth’s Atmosphere
The Earths atmosphere extends from the planets surface to a height of 10,000 kilometres (6,214 miles). The atmosphere then merges with space. While oxygen is required for most life on Earth, it does not make up the majority of the atmosphere. The Earths atmosphere is made up of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and 0.1 percent other gases. Other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent include trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, and neon.
Question: How many layers are there in atmosphere?
Answer: There are 5 layers, that are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, exosphere and ionosphere. They are situated at various levels; you can get information at https://youtube.com/channel/UCoqI7C9rI2UbFPITF2bPgnQ.
Pollution
Pollution has become a major issue in recent years around the world. Its becoming increasingly hazardous in a number of areas and the worst is yet to come due to rapid population growth, industrialization and growing pollution. The natural resources that get polluted are air, water and soil. Air is polluted because of toxic gases released in the environment. Water gets polluted from pollutants that are discharged into water sources. Soil is polluted with the use of chemical and artificial fertilizers that degrade the quality of soil after certain period.
Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
The amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is not only raising the overall temperature on the planet. Its also reducing the ability of the natural world to absorb harmful carbon dioxide which has been a dominant greenhouse gas for millions of years. This increased carbon content is due to release of cluro fluro carbon or CFCs, that raise the surrounding temperature. Global warming has caused rapid melting of the glaciers, hole in ozone layer and increased heat in the environment.
Future of the Earth
New technology has come along that enables the use of natural resources without polluting them. This new technology can be found in solar panels that generate energy without burning fossil fuels and wind turbines which utilize the power of wind to generate electricity. There are also a variety of electric cars that run on electricity generated from solar power and wind turbines as well as batteries, geothermal heat and hydrogen fuel cells that run electric vehicles.