Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is the main contributor to climate change. This process traps oxygen molecules in the air into CO2, reducing oxygen for life to breathe. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and fluorinated gases. The greenhouse effect occurs when certain gases accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor.
The oxygen cycle is part of the carbon cycle, where plants remove CO2 from the air and add oxygen, while animals do the reverse. Deforestation disrupts the oxygen cycle by reducing trees available for photosynthesis, which produces oxygen and absorbs carbon. Plants use CO2 from the atmosphere to build food in the form of organic matter, which becomes food for microbes, fungi, insects, and higher organisms.
Plants pull CO2 from the atmosphere and release O2 as a waste product. The O2 will eventually react with the plant carbon through decomposition, unless the bridge between the oxygen cycle and the hydrological cycle is built via evapotranspiration. Without greenhouse gases, the Earth’s surface radiates heat, which is mostly absorbed by greenhouse gases. CO2 is then taken up by algae and terrestrial green plants and converted into carbohydrates during photosynthesis, with oxygen being a by-product.
In conclusion, the greenhouse effect occurs when certain gases accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere, leading to extreme climate changes such as floods, droughts, and heat.
📹 A Greenhouse for the Moon and Beyond
Gene Giacomelli brought his research group’s Lunar Greenhouse to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) 2013 …
How do greenhouse gases get into the air?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels, solid waste, trees, and other biological materials. It is removed from the atmosphere when absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle. Methane (CH4) is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil, as well as from livestock and agricultural practices, land use, and organic waste decay in municipal solid waste landfills.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted during agricultural, land use, and industrial activities, combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste, and wastewater treatment. Fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride, are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases emitted from various household, commercial, and industrial applications. They are sometimes used as substitutes for stratospheric ozone-depleting substances, and are often referred to as high-GWP gases due to their ability to trap substantially more heat for a given amount of mass. These gases are essential for reducing global warming and ensuring a sustainable future.
How does climate change affect the oxygen cycle?
Ocean oxygen is primarily sourced from the atmosphere and surface waters, which are then transported to deeper water. Climate change can impact the amount of oxygen reaching deep waters, affecting deep water ecosystems. Temperature also affects oxygen levels, as warm water holds less oxygen than cold water. Global warming can reduce oxygen levels in the ocean, lakes, rivers, and streams, leading to species population changes. Additionally, increased nutrient levels, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous, can lead to decreased oxygen levels.
Nutrients, typically washed in from land or agricultural fertilizers, can increase productivity through algae growth. When algae die, bacteria consume most of the oxygen, leading to eutrophication, which kills fish and other species. Nutrient-rich runoff from land can result in hypoxic conditions in aquatic environments. Additional cause and effect relationships between oxygen levels and other parts of the Earth system are also being explored.
How does air get into a greenhouse?
Greenhouses use exhaust fans to circulate air, either through inlets or wet walls, or natural wind and buoyancy to move air in and out of production space. Horizontal airflow (HAF) fans circulate air and direct it towards plants, while vertical airflow (VAF) fans can destratify or direct air down into the plant canopy. The air change rate depends on crop density, the growing system, and the air condition. For greenhouses, 45-60 air exchanges per hour are typically designed for peak cooling.
When using ventilation to dehumidify the greenhouse at night or in winter, the AER is lower, limiting heating needs and avoiding environmental fluctuations caused by over-ventilation. The air change rate depends on crop density, single or multi-level growing systems, and air quality.
How do plants participate in the cycling of oxygen and carbon dioxide?
Atmospheric oxygen is primarily produced by green plants, which use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce living matter and release oxygen into the air through photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is also produced through respiration of animals and plants, which consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Decomposition or combustion of biomass releases carbon fixed in living matter into the atmosphere. However, human activities disrupt this balance, leading to carbon accumulation in the atmosphere.
How do plants help in maintaining o2 and CO2 cycle?
Forests play an essential role in maintaining the equilibrium between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They provide a habitat for a multitude of life forms on Earth by releasing oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, while plants absorb carbon dioxide from animals during the process of respiration. This equilibrium is instrumental in sustaining the integrity of the ecosystem.
Does a greenhouse need oxygen?
Dissolved oxygen, the gaseous oxygen dissolved in water, is crucial for aquatic organisms and plants as they require oxygen for respiration. Ensuring sufficient levels of dissolved oxygen in irrigation water improves plant health by increasing nutrient uptake and conversion efficiency, enhancing root growth, vegetative, and flowering characteristics, and reducing the threat of various opportunistic pathogens.
Dissolved oxygen can enter bodies of water naturally, typically at the water surface where atmospheric oxygen establishes an equilibrium with the water. In larger bodies of water, waves and wind increase surface exposure, allowing more oxygen exchange and dissolution. The amount of oxygen dissolved in water is affected by temperature and salinity, with the amount decreasing as temperature and salinity increase.
In greenhouses, ensuring dissolved oxygen levels is necessary due to competition from biological oxygen demands (BOD) in irrigation channels and piping. Irrigation water is considered marginally acceptable for plant health at DO levels above 5 mg/L. Most greenhouse crops perform better with higher DO levels, with levels greater than 8 mg/L generally considered good for greenhouse production. Research has found that having a high concentrated dissolved oxygen supply (20-30 mg/L) was effective in improving plant growth under low greenhouse temperatures in deep hydroponic cultures.
If dissolved oxygen levels drop below 4 mg/L, the water is considered hypoxic, which is detrimental to plants. Dissolved oxygen levels below 0. 5 mg/L are anoxic and do not support plant or animal life. Growers must monitor dissolved oxygen levels and take appropriate measures to ensure healthy crop growth.
What is the relationship between carbon cycle and greenhouse gases?
The carbon cycle, which includes sources and sinks, helps regulate the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, including CO2, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone, keep Earth livable by holding onto some of its heat energy, known as the greenhouse effect. Without these gases, Earth would be an icy wasteland. However, too little greenhouse gas can make Earth too cold, and too much greenhouse gas can make it too warm. Humans have burned fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gasoline, producing CO2 as a waste product. This has made Earth warmer, and if we continue on our current path, we will cause even more warming.
How does the greenhouse effect work step by step?
The greenhouse effect is a process whereby solar radiation reaches Earth’s atmosphere, with some of it being reflected back into space and the remainder being absorbed by the planet’s land and oceans. This results in the heating of Earth and the subsequent emission of heat into space.
How does oxygen contribute to greenhouse effect?
Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide, are molecules made of three or more atoms that vibrate when they absorb heat, releasing radiation that is absorbed by another greenhouse gas molecule. Nitrogen and oxygen are the majority of gases in the atmosphere, which cannot absorb heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, has a small fraction of the atmosphere but has a significant effect on climate.
The concentration of carbon dioxide has increased since 2015, reaching over 400 ppm. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, absorbs more heat than carbon dioxide and is found in small quantities but has a significant impact on warming. Methane gas is also used as a fuel, releasing carbon dioxide greenhouse gas when burned.
How do plants convert CO2 into oxygen?
Photosynthesis is a vital process that transforms water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and simple sugars, which are used as fuel by plants and other primary producers. This process forms the foundation of an ecosystem and fuels the next trophic levels. Most life on Earth relies on photosynthesis, which is carried out by plants, algae, and some bacteria. During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and water from the air and soil, oxidize the water, and reduce the carbon dioxide, transforming the water into oxygen and glucose.
The plant releases the oxygen back into the air and stores energy within glucose molecules. Inside the plant cell are small organelles called chloroplasts, which store the energy of sunlight. Chlorophyll, a light-absorbing pigment, absorbs energy from blue- and red-light waves and reflects green-light waves, giving the plant its green color.
What is the greenhouse effect in the cycle?
Human activities, such as burning wood, fossil fuels, and other forms of carbon, significantly impact the carbon cycle. This process releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, forming greenhouse gases that absorb and release heat. The concentration of carbon in the atmosphere determines the Earth’s climate, with too little causing it to freeze and too much turning the atmosphere into a furnace. Understanding the carbon cycle is crucial for the Earth’s future.
The Department of Energy (DOE) supports research on the carbon cycle through the Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program, which focuses on atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. BER also supports systems biology research focusing on plant processes that convert CO2 into stable forms of carbon and the complex relationships between plants, microbes, and soil microbes.
DOE’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program also plays a vital role in studying the carbon cycle, improving Earth systems and climate models. The DOE also participates in the U. S. Carbon Cycle Science Program.
📹 How did they build the ISS? (International Space Station)
⌚Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:11 – ISS Intro 02:11 – Berthing & Docking Mechanisms 05:05 – Space Shuttle Intro 06:28 – STS-88 …
We know plants will grow in low gravity because American experiments began in 1966. A more intelligent question would be how they intend to deal with long term cosmic radiation risk outside the earth’s magnetic field. Without its protection you would need an enormous amount of shielding material (assuming you want to live). The logistics of moving many tons of material (on the moon) makes the project ridiculously expensive and highly unlikely.
As a man who prides himself on knowing “a little bit about many things”, I knew NOTHING about the ISS. I felt kinda embarrassed about that deficiency, which is why I am very, VERY grateful to you, Jared, for taking on this enormous task!! Outstanding presentation and easy-to-understand detail. So impressed, and so appreciated. My wife & I love ALL of your presentations!
Great article and it brings back a lot of memories. I supported 16 of these assembly missions including 6 from NASA JSC Mission Control Center, right up to 2007. An interesting component of berthing and assembly you didn’t get into in the article is how you align the modules and why it took so long to bring them together. It wasn’t like dock an aircraft to a gate with ground crew guiding alignment with light batons saying to move left or right. There were several methods used including centerline berthing cameras and alignment targets. The system I was supporting was the Space Vision System that used all of those black and white targets all over the modules. SVS used the Space Shuttle cameras in the payload bay to track the targets on both the incoming module and the module on the ISS it is attaching to, and calculated the relative position and orientation (x, y, z, yaw, pitch, roll) 30 times per second. It had to berth slowly because these modules are massive so their inertia was both hard to get moving and hard to stop, and could do a lot of damage if anything collided. Alignment was monitored closely the whole way in. Also, the ISS and shuttle were orbiting the Earth this whole time, so sometimes would traverse from night to day and vice-versa. That could put shadows on targets and make it hard to track all of them at the same time due to dynamic lighting. Pre-flight I had to analyze which targets were important and which could be lost and still perform the operation within spec, and keep an eye on this during berthing operations.
What’s important is that most of the major sections of the Russian segment are their own spaceships, they have their own propulsion and attitude control engines so they can maintain their own orbit after launch and even dock with themselves. US-made segments however are not, they are basically giant tin can cabins with science capacity as their primary design objective so they need to be carried to the station by the shuttle and placed onto the station using robot arms.
Hi jarred!! My son absolutely loves your articles, he is 4yrs old and learns so much from them! My son blows my mind at the things he knows from your articles! He is autistic and your articles make him so happy. He asked me to comment on your articles to tell you that he loves your content and “he hopes you’re very happy with your family” -his words. His name is jasper, and he is 100% your biggest fan.
It would be nice to mention all the other rockets used except the space shuttle. Most russian modules were launched on a Proton-K and newer ones on a Proton-M while some smaller modules used Soyuz vehicles and newer american small modules where launched on Falcon 9 vehicles. I know it would be a lot more work to animate all of them but they deserved to be atleast refered. Great animation by the way.
I already knew how they built it but I decided to watch again just for fun and this article was really great! Great voice with a great voice over and great description and “chapters” of the events in the article and straight to the point with good and easy to understand explaining. The animations were really great too and a big part why the article is so good overall in my opinion. Great article! A part 2 would be really nice! 😀
Saw this INCREDIBLE animation article after perusal your “docuvid” on the USS Arizona!! You oughta be PAID (by NASA, DoD or SpaceX) for the time, effort and DETAIL you put into making these POWERFUL descriptions and re-enactments of the subject matter!! Thank you for breaking these histories down into COMPREHENSIVE, UNDERSTANDABLE depictions!!👍🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
FUN FACT: There is gravity on the ISS. It’s true that gravity is weaker because it’s farther from the centre of the Earth, but not by much. Earth’s gravity is still 90% as effective as it is on the surface. The reason why astronauts float is because they’re in free fall. It’s a common misconception that the difficult part about space travel is getting into space. But that’s actually the easy part. You then need to obtain enough speed to enter orbit, which may require as much as seven times the amount of energy you needed for launch, otherwise you’d fall straight back down. The station is orbiting at a speed of approximately 17,500 miles per hour, which allows it to keep falling towards the surface but moving sideways fast enough that it never actually reaches the ground.
This has to be one of the most informative articles on the internet. Kudos to Jared and the team! Just a quick question, during the first mission, how did the ISS remain stable or rather how was it not moving? As you mentioned, it was travelling faster than the speed of light, so was wondering how the shuttle first caught up and how it managed to move all those moving parts at those speeds?
You might notice all the missions tend to last 13 days. This is because the longevity of the hydrogen fuel cells powering the shuttle was a little over 14 days. (and they want to give themselves some wiggle room in the event of bad weather in the landing zone) This was the limiting factor for how long a shuttle could stay aloft, After that the shuttle would be dead in space. They did eventually come up with a jerry-rigged method to connect to the space stations solar supply to extend this a bit (effectively using a glorified extension chord… a fancy space extension chord) but this would only work for a few days and be a huge drain on the stations power supply, lowering the potential for scientific experimentation while they did so. The longest shuttle mission ever was 17.5 days using this method.
There are a number of other key factors: the US modules were launched by the Space Shuttle, and the Russian modules have their own unmanned control system and can automatically enter orbit and dock with the ISS. That’s probably why the construction of the Russian segment of the ISS is skipped in the article… Another important factor: the entire system of orientation and maintenance of the ISS in orbit is located on the Russian segment. If the Russian Sigmen is undocked from the ISS, it will be a separate autonomous orbital station. And the segment of the USA and Europe will turn into an uncontrollable pile of iron in orbit.
@JaredOwen, I only recently discovered your YT website. You have done some brilliant work to elaborate in such great detail for us the workings of these many engineering marvels. I have always wondered. Why are the PMA’s offset in our ISS? Why can they not have a more straight or less angled union (at ~ 4:00 of the article).
Amazing work the space shuttle in space – & the article you have created 😊😊 too.good Being the son of a Indian Space scientist -used to hear a lot from my.father about these missions but now seeing it in your animatiom articles just removes little bit of doubts I had on the technical.aspects of the design Btw – i am.a.New Product Design Engineer by skill and worked my way upto post of MD in a design.company so all the more appreciate you wonderfully designed articles. If you dont mind.me.asking, which design.software have you used.
The process of assembling the International Space Station (ISS) has been under way since the 1990s. Zarya, the first ISS module, was launched by a Proton rocket on 20 November 1998. The STS-88 Space Shuttle mission followed two weeks after Zarya was launched, bringing Unity, the first of three node modules, and connecting it to Zarya. This bare 2-module core of the ISS remained uncrewed for the next one and a half years, until in July 2000 the Russian module Zvezda was launched by a Proton rocket, allowing a maximum crew of three astronauts or cosmonauts to be on the ISS permanently.
Jared Owen, primero muchas gracias y felicidades por tu estupendo trabajo que nos permite conocer las maravillosas actividades de la conquista del espacio. Segundo solicito tu autorización para poder compartir a mis alumnos niños tu article a través de una clase virtual. Reitero mis felicitaciones y agradecimiento.
Thank you for this. It’s a beautiful article. Also a mindblowing human achievement. Wish, many lost humans would look a bit upwards on the stars, to understand the importance of our precious life. Instead of doing everything they can do destroy and harm it. (Just.. sharing a bit of my aching pain regarding the awful stuff we constantly hear these days)
Hi Jared, why you skipped Russian Modules, they were the one who put first module in to the space that that other modules can join there. Also they are the one still providing missions to ISS and back to earth for the astronauts there still even after the space shuttle program ends – regardless of the nationality.