Starting in the mid-20th century, scientists began to track rising CO2 levels, at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii on the north slope of the Volcano providing a continuous record that shows a steady increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However a volcano always eject carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide levels at the Mauna Loa are … Read more
Carbon has been known since prehistoric times in forms like charcoal, soot, and diamonds. The name “carbon” comes from the Latin word carbo for charcoal. In 1789, Antoine Lavoisier officially classified carbon as a distinct element, and by 1786, it was confirmed that diamonds were a form of this element, just like graphite. More recent … Read more
The atmosphere is a system of gases, with the main components being nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%), and trace amounts of other gases like argon (0.9%), carbon dioxide (0.04%), and water vapor (0-4%). It also includes other trace gases such as neon, helium, methane, and nitrous oxide, as well as aerosols (tiny particles). These components … Read more
The history of Earth’s atmosphere began with a thin, short-lived layer of hydrogen and helium, followed by a “secondary atmosphere” of volcanic gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, which formed over billions of years as the planet cooled. The emergence of life led to the oxygenation of the atmosphere through photosynthesis, an event … Read more
