In: Chemistry
How can the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere hundreds of years ago be determined today and what substances have been blamed for the loss of ozone in the atmosphere?
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hundreds of years ago can be determined by measuring the bubbles of air which have been trapped in the ice sheets of Greenland and antarctic. These evaluations indicate that in the past, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was approximately 270 ppm v. This was long before the emergence of industries which have caused a big variations in the concentration of this gas in the recent past. Low concentration of CO2 several hundred years ago enhanced Antarctic glaciation as well as the evolution of C4 plants. Also, an evaluation of fossil leaves based can be used to evaluate the concentration of carbon dioxide in the past.
The substances that have been blamed for the loss of ozone layer in the atmosphere include Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halogenated ozone depleting substances (ODS). They are made up of combination of chlorine, fluorine, or bromine and carbon.