The atmosphere is the mass of air surrounding the earth. It’s constitutes a mixture of nitrogen (about 78%), oxygen (about 21%), and other gasses (about 1%) such as carbon dioxide (0.039%), argon (0.93%) and the rest are trace gases (krypton, neon, helium , and xenon). The mass of the atmosphere totals to about 5.15×1018 kg. Higher…
The oxygen cycle elaborates how oxygen circulates in various forms through nature. Oxygen occurs freely in the air, trapped in the earth crust as chemical compounds, or dissolved in water. Oxygen in the atmosphere is about 21%, and it is the second most abundant gas after nitrogen. It is mostly utilized by living organisms, especially…
Chemical weathering pertains to the changes in rock structure under the action or influence of chemical reactions. There are hundreds of natural chemical processes and reactions within the rocks the change the composition and the structure of the rocks over time. Temperature and, especially, moisture are critical for chemical weathering. Chemical weathering, therefore, occurs more quickly in…
The nitrogen cycle explains the how nitrogen flows between animals, bacteria, plants, the atmosphere, and the soil on earth. The uniqueness of the nitrogen cycle is that nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the earth’s atmosphere, about 78% of all air, but it can’t be directly utilized by the animals and plants unless it…
Smog simply refers to a mixture of liquid and solid fog and smoke particles. Smog is usually seen as yellowish or blackish fog which suspends in the atmosphere or forms a ceiling in the air. It happens when fume, emissions, and particulates – nitrogen and sulfur oxides and volatile organic compounds – react in the…
Agricultural pollution predominantly arises from farming practices. Modern farming and agricultural operations contribute to the degradation and contamination of our environment as well as the neighboring ecosystems. Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, animal manure and other agro-chemicals are rich in chemical nutrients and toxic substances which are often the major sources of agricultural pollution. The excessive use…