ENVS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Gaia Hypothesis, Hadean, Extremophile
27 Aug 2015
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Hadean period (4. 5-5 billion years) (hot temperature) (first life) 3500 ma: photosynthesis begins, releases oxygen into the air. 2300 ma: atmosphere becomes oxygenated, first snowball earth. Fossil worm: 600 ma: soft part of the animal. 8 major milestones in the history of life on earth. Mars -133 c to 27c (there was water on mars before probably) Saturn (enceladus ice covered moon) (geysers of salty water. Planet gc: in the goldilocks region: 90% earth type solar light. 400 billion stars in the milky way, up to 50 billion planets. Earth"s biosphere is manipulated by life to sustain life itself. The earth can be considered, hypothetically, as if it were a living being. Biosphere: area of life supported by oxygen, nitrogen etc. Ecological succession: as a natural system develops, it prepares for its next stage and it complexifies. Lichens and mosses -> herbs shrubs -> trees etc. (over 40 years times)
