CLAY THOMPSON

Does Phoenix have less oxygen than lusher areas?

Clay Thompson
The Republic | azcentral.com
Desert sunset. Enjoy Arizona nature activities in the evening and early morning hours to beat the heat.

Today’s question:

Since oxygen is produced by plants is the level of oxygen in the air in Phoenix and other desert areas less than it is in areas with more trees and other greenery?

Well, now that’s an interesting idea, don’t you think? Not necessarily a correct idea, but not without its merits.

It’s true that plants give off oxygen. So it stands to reason that a heavily forested area might have a slightly higher localized of oxygen levels than some other areas.

Here’s the deal: Earth’s atmosphere is about 21 percent oxygen. Scientists have determined that over the eons oxygen levels have varied from nearly nothing to as highs as much as 35 percent.

Oxygen is a gas and is such is subject to certain laws of physics. In other words it’s pretty much all over the place.

And deserts may look barren, but they are not exactly the moon. There are plenty of plants out there pumping out oxygen.

The biggest things you should worry about in this regard are greenhouse gases. People who study such matters say Earth’s oxygen levels, including those of the oceans, have begun to dip slightly since we began seriously putting junk into the air with the Industrial Age.

You’re not going to suffocate before your subscription to the paper runs out, but we’re not doing ourselves much good.

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You've heard of Reddit's Ask Me Anything. Well, what would you ask Clay Thompson, our resident guru of random knowledge? E-mail your questions to clay.thompson@arizonarepublic.com, and check back at clay.azcentral.com for his often hilarious responses.