Atmospheric resources are crucial because they provide the essential gaseous elements for life and maintain conditions necessary for liquid water to exist on Earth.
Here's a breakdown of their importance:
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Gaseous Resources for Life:
- The atmosphere provides oxygen (O₂) for respiration in animals and humans. This is the process of converting food into energy.
- Plants utilize carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere for photosynthesis, which produces oxygen and food.
- Nitrogen (N₂) is abundant in the atmosphere and is essential for plant growth. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms for plants.
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Maintaining Liquid Water:
- Atmospheric pressure allows water to exist in its liquid state over a wide range of temperatures. Without sufficient pressure, water would quickly evaporate into vapor, even at low temperatures.
- The "natural greenhouse effect," caused by certain gases in the atmosphere (like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane), traps some of the sun's heat and keeps the Earth warm enough for liquid water to exist. Without this effect, Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it.
In short, atmospheric resources are critical for providing the gases that living organisms need to survive and for maintaining the conditions that allow liquid water, essential for all known life forms, to exist on Earth.
