One of the major differences between Earth and its neighboring planets Venus and Mars is the lack of large quantities of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere near the surface of the planet.If all these planets were originally formed with significant quantities of this gas in their atmospheres,where is a significant fraction of this carbon dioxide on Earth at the present time?
A) concentrated high in the atmosphere, where it contributes to the greenhouse effect
B) dissociated by solar UV light into carbon and oxygen, which now exist in abundance as separate chemicals
C) no longer on Earth but lost into space because it is such a light gas
D) dissolved in seawater, a situation that cannot arise on Venus or Mars

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Unlike Venus and Mars, Earth has vast oceans that have dissolved significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process is aided by the cool temperatures and high pressure at the depths of the ocean which increase the solubility of gases. Therefore, most of Earth's carbon dioxide is dissolved in seawater.

One of the Major Differences Between Earth and Its Neighboring