Atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere has changed throughout its history. It is generally thought that shortly after the Earth's formation (about 4,500 million years ago), the atmosphere consisted mainly of carbon dioxide, with some nitrogen and hydrogen.

Initially our planet was very volcanically active and large amounts of gas (especially nitrogen) were given off by the rocks; as this activity gradually decreased, the rate of increase of nitrogen in the atmosphere also slowed down.

About 3,000 million years ago the first plants developed and began to give off oxygen; as a result, the amount of oxygen increased, reaching a plateau when oxygen-breathing animals became numerous.

1	Amazing Photos of Northern Lights	Jonathan Malory	2440
2	Aqueous Vapor	Jonathan Malory	1540
3	Atmospheric Illusions	Marcia Malory	3231
4	Atmospheric Weight and Heat	Jonathan Malory	1652
5	Carbon Dioxide	Jonathan Malory	1569
6	Composition of the Atmosphere	Marcia Malory	1544
7	Formation of Clouds	Jonathan Malory	1464
8	Function of the Atmosphere	Marcia Malory	1938
9	Mirages	Marcia Malory	2057
10	Particles in the Atmosphere	Marcia Malory	4158
11	Precipitation	Jonathan Malory	1803
12	The History of Earth's Atmosphere	Jonathan Malory	12482
13	Thickness of Ozone Layer	Jonathan Malory	5856
14	Troposphere to Outer Space	Jonathan Malory	4723

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