How dense could Earth's atmosphere potentially be?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the potential density of Earth's atmosphere compared to its current state, considering factors such as gravity and insolation while assuming no changes to Earth's mass or position in the solar system. Participants explore theoretical limits and sources of atmospheric gases.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest examining Venus as a reference for atmospheric density.
  • One participant notes the presence of CO2 in oceans and calcite deposits, proposing that Earth's atmosphere could potentially be much thicker, though they refrain from providing specific numbers.
  • There is a clarification on whether the inquiry pertains to how much atmosphere could be added or how much could be released from geological sources.
  • Another participant discusses the capacity of Earth to retain a thicker atmosphere, referencing an empirical equation by Stephen Dole that relates to the atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Mars, while expressing skepticism about its reliability due to outdated data.
  • It is mentioned that Earth could theoretically support a much denser atmosphere, with estimates suggesting enough CO2 in the crust for a 45 bar atmosphere, and a hypothetical scenario where boiling oceans could lead to a 300 bar atmosphere at high temperatures, although this is deemed unlikely under current insolation levels.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various hypotheses regarding the potential density of Earth's atmosphere, with no consensus reached on specific values or the feasibility of certain scenarios.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes references to empirical equations and estimates that may depend on outdated data, highlighting the uncertainty in the calculations and assumptions regarding atmospheric retention and gas sources.

Uncle Al
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How dense could Earth's atmosphere potentially be, as opposed to how dense it is now? Assume that Earth's mass and position in the solar system do not change.


Al
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
you might start by looking at venus
 
Well, there is quite a lot of CO2 trapped away in the Ocean...and even more of it trapped away in Calcite deposits. Also, there's a lot of methane trapped in pockets around the world...I would say the Earth's Atmosphere could become quite a bit thicker than it is now...I wouldn't be able to give any numbers though.
 
Uncle Al said:
How dense could Earth's atmosphere potentially be, as opposed to how dense it is now? Assume that Earth's mass and position in the solar system do not change.


Al

Do you mean just how much atmosphere could we pack onto the Earth or how much could conceivably outgas from rocks and other sources?
 
I mean how much could Earth hold onto with gravity and insolation at present levels.

There's an equation (or set of equations) for this, but I can't remember what they are.



Al
 
Uncle Al said:
I mean how much could Earth hold onto with gravity and insolation at present levels.

There's an equation (or set of equations) for this, but I can't remember what they are.

Al

Not that I know of. Stephen Dole ("Habitable Planets for Man") fitted an empirical equation to the atmospheres of earth, Venus and Mars, but it was of dubious value since it used old data for Mars and Venus.

Earth can hang on to a much more substantial atmosphere, since we know Venus can at twice the insolation. There's about enough CO2 in the crust for a 45 bar atmosphere, thus a bit less than Venus. If the oceans boiled then there would be about 300 bar of atmosphere at about 650 K. But that's unlikely at current insolation levels.
 

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