CAS ES 107 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Faint Young Sun Paradox, Atmospheric Methane, Silicate Minerals

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Faint young sun paradox that the sun gets brighter as it ages. The solution to this paradox probably involves either a stronger atmospheric greenhouse effect or a lower planetary albedo or additional sources besides the sun must have been present. The luminosity increase in the sun is a direct response to the conversion of hydrogen to helium. The sun does not lose mass by way of solar wind. Geothermal heat from radioactive decay and left over heat from earths formation is not enough to supply the required energy. Albedo is not the answer either because how could a water-covered planet have an albedo of zero because clouds which are highly reflective must be present for water to be present. The most likely solution is that the greenhouse effect was larger in the past. Ammonia could also be a solution cause it absorbs infrared radiation well and it"s a reduced gas, which combines with oxygen to form a stable compound.

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