GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Oxygen is a major component of the solid earth, along with Si and elements such as Mg, Ca and Na. Nitrogen is not stable as a part of a crystal lattice, so it is not incorporated into the solid Earth. This is one reason why nitrogen is so enriched in the atmosphere relative to oxygen.

Detailed explanation-2: -Early oxygen bonded with iron to form a layer of rust, but eventually began to build up in Earth’s atmosphere. As carbon dioxide was broken down by cyanobacteria, more CO2 could be dissolved into the ocean. This gave rise to our modern atmosphere dominated by nitrogen and oxygen.

Detailed explanation-3: -By volume, the dry air in Earth’s atmosphere is about 78.08 percent nitrogen, 20.95 percent oxygen, and 0.93 percent argon. A brew of trace gases accounts for the other approximately 0.04 percent, including the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone.

Detailed explanation-4: -Gases in the atmosphere surround Earth like a blanket. They keep the temperature in a range that can support life. The gases keep out some of the Sun’s scorching heat during the day. At night, they hold the heat close to the surface so it doesn’t radiate out into space.