The development of the Earth's atmosphere
Volcanic eruptions 4.5 billion years ago gave off carbon dioxide, water vapour, ammonia and methane. The earth was continually cooling so, over time, the water vapour condensed into water and created the oceans . The ocean then gradually removed some of the CO2 in the air by absorbing it.
3.5 billion years ago, the first signs of life occurred somehow and they could carry out photosynthesis which removed CO2 from the air and replaced it with oxygen. Oxygen levels continued to rise and Co2 levels fell.
More complex organisms evolved and CO2 from the ocean became CO3 (carbonate) in the shells and skeletons of these animals. These shells and skeletons, along with plant waste, all contained CO2 and over millions of years formed sedimentary rocks containing locked away carbon - a carbon sink. These are the fossil fuels we use today but they are running out.
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