Transcript Goal: To understand life in our universe.

Goal: To understand life in
our universe.
Objectives:
1) To understand the Basic building blocks for life
in general
2) To learn about the basics of climate
Brainstorm!
• Try to find 6 characteristics of the most
basic life (note this is life in general – so if
you can think of a life form that does not
need it, it is not a basic building block).
• Note also this is not for human life, just the
most basic life (like bacteria).
• Finally, this is for life as we know it.
Liquid Water
• Most basic building block of life
• A few other blocks exist to allow this
• Our bodies are about 70% water
• Plentiful in the universe
What temperatures is water
liquid?
• In this room, 0 C to 100 C.
• Goldilocks zone
• HOWEVER (long speech here)
• 2nd Block: Temperature range for liquid
water
Pressure range
• 3rd block
• The pressure at which boiling pt is 0 C
(freezing pt) is 0.007 bars
• Triple point of water
Energy Source
• #4
• Does not have to come from a star
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Needed for:
1) Temperature range
2) Function (move, perceive, ect)
3) Take raw ingredients and turn them into
DNA and cells.
Ingrediants
• #5-8
• Cells are made of proteins which are
made of the elements:
• 1) Hydrogen
• 2) Nitrogen
• 3) Carbon
• 4) Oxygen
Not on the list:
• Atmosphere
– Needed for life on surface, but not in general.
Magnetic Field
same
Proximity to star
Needed for life on surface, but not under
Climate:
• Brainstorm, what factors affect climate?
Come up with at least 4.
Climate is about energy
• To understand climate you only need to
understand where the energy is going.
• More energy in means higher
temperatures until energy in = energy out
• Higher temperature means you radiate
more energy
• If energy in is greater than out,
temperature goes up
#1 The sun
• For the Earth the sun is the #1 most
important influence on climate
• Further from the sun (all else equal) then
temperatures are colder.
#2 Greenhouse effect
• The Earth has 2 main sources of energy,
the sun, and the atmosphere.
• Sun emits optical light (it is hot)
• Earth emits infrared light (it is cooler)
Greenhouse gasses
• Are gasses that absorb infrared heat (so
they are powered by the planet’s heat)
• These gasses then re-emit that heat and
half of that goes back to the Earth.
• No trapping.
What is the most abundant
greenhouse gas in Earth’s
atmosphere?
•
•
•
•
1) Carbon Dioxide
2) Nitrogen
3) Methane
4) Water Vapor
#3 Albedo
• Albedo is a measure of the fraction of light
that gets reflected.
• More reflected light means cooler
temperatures.
Ice Albedo Feedback
• If warming changes something to change
the warming that is feedback
• Warming melts ice.
• This allows the ground/sea to absorb more
light.
• This raises temperatures further.
#4 Circulation Patterns
• Atmospheric/Ocean patterns
• Move energy to poles.
• Can spread out the temperature.
Not on list:
• Interior heat - < 0.1 Watt per square meter
• Ozone Layer – only indirect affects surface
Conclusion
• We have found what a planet needs in
order to be capable of supporting life.
• We explored the basics of climate.