Abiotic nitrogen reduction on the early Earth
Abstract
The production of organic precursors to life depends critically on the form of the reactants. In particular, an environment dominated by N2 is far less efficient in synthesizing nitrogen-bearing organics than a reducing environment rich in ammonia. Relatively reducing lithospheric conditions on the early Earth have been presumed to favour the generation of an ammonia-rich atmosphere, but this hypothesis has not been studied experimentally. Here we demonstrate mineral-catalysed reduction of N2, NO2- and NO3- to ammonia at temperatures between 300 and 800 degrees C and pressures of 0.1-0.4 GPa-conditions typical of crustal and oceanic hydrothermal systems. We also show that only N2 is stable above 800 degrees C, thus precluding significant atmospheric ammonia formation during hot accretion. We conclude that mineral-catalysed N2 reduction might have provided a significant source of ammonia to the Hadean ocean. These results also suggest that, whereas nitrogen in the Earth's early atmosphere was present predominantly as N2, exchange with oceanic, hydrothermally derived ammonia could have provided a significant amount of the atmospheric ammonia necessary to resolve the early-faint-Sun paradox.
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Simulated hydrothermal conditions of 300°C and high pressure readily convert nitrite into NH3.
“However, simulated hydrothermal conditions of 300°C and high pressure readily convert nitrite into NH3 [63], and under very mild conditions, FeS minerals can reduce N2 to NH3 at yields approaching 0.1 per cent [64], whereby native Fe±0 is also an effective catalyst of N2 reduction under hydrothermal conditions [65], recalling once again awaruite as an indicator of serpentinization [25].”
From Early bioenergetic evolution (2013) · cites this paper as [63]
Three sources of geochemical nitrogen fixation are discussed: high pressure high temperature N2 reduction by deep geochemical Haber-Bosch like processes, low pressure low temperature FeS-mediated N2 reduction processes, and serpentinization-related geochemical processes.
“Three sources are discussed: High pressure high temperature N2 reduction by deep geochemical Haber-Bosch like processes (Brandes et al., 1998), low pressure low temperature FeS-mediated N2 reduction processes (Dörr et al., 2003) and serpentinization-related geochemical processes.”
From Serpentinization as the source of energy, electrons, organics, catalysts, nutrients and pH gradients for the origin of LUCA and life (2023) · cites this paper as Brandes et al., 1998
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- Authors
- Brandes, J. A., Boctor, N. Z., Cody, G. D., Cooper, B. A., Hazen, R. M., & Yoder, H. S.
- Affiliations
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brandes, Jay A.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 1998-09
- Volume
- 395
- Issue
- 6700
- Pages
- 365-367
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1583074443
- Cited by
- 237
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Keywords
- ammonia synthesis, early Earth atmosphere, mineral catalysis, hydrothermal systems, nitrate reduction, atmospheric ammonia
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Ammonia, Catalysis, Iron, Nitrogen, Oxidation-Reduction, Pressure, Temperature, Earth, Planet, Evolution, Planetary
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