Cited by 468Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeochemistry and Elemental AnalysisOrigins and Evolution of Life

Ocean productivity before about 1.9 Gyr ago limited by phosphorus adsorption onto iron oxides

Bjerrum, Christian J., Canfield, Donald E.·2002·Nature

Abstract

After the evolution of oxygen-producing cyanobacteria at some time before 2.7 billion years ago, oxygen production on Earth is thought to have depended on the availability of nutrients in the oceans, such as phosphorus (in the form of orthophosphate). In the modern oceans, a significant removal pathway for phosphorus occurs by way of its adsorption onto iron oxide deposits. Such deposits were thought to be more abundant in the past when, under low sulphate conditions, the formation of large amounts of iron oxides resulted in the deposition of banded iron formations. Under these circumstances, phosphorus removal by iron oxide adsorption could have been enhanced. Here we analyse the phosphorus and iron content of banded iron formations to show that ocean orthophosphate concentrations from 3.2 to 1.9 billion years ago (during the Archaean and early Proterozoic eras) were probably only approximately 10-25% of present-day concentrations. We suggest therefore that low phosphorus availability should have significantly reduced rates of photosynthesis and carbon burial, thereby reducing the long-term oxygen production on the early Earth--as previously speculated--and contributing to the low concentrations of atmospheric oxygen during the late Archaean and early Proterozoic.

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Crossref · 10.1038/417159a

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  • Iron formations' precursor minerals, such as Fe(III)-oxyhydroxides, are likely to retain the chemical signature of seawater.

    “their precursor minerals, such as Fe(III)-oxyhydroxides, are likely to retain the chemical signature of seawater”

    From Iron formations: A global record of Neoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic environmental history (2017) · cites this paper as Bjerrum and Canfield, 2002

  • Iron formations have proven useful as paleomarine proxies because trace metal content in least metamorphosed units is almost entirely derived from seawater.

    “As iron-and silica-rich chemical sedimentary deposits, IF have proven useful because the trace metal content in the least metamorphosed units are almost entirely derived from seawater (see Bjerrum and Canfield, 2002;Konhauser et al., 2007;2009;2015;Robbins et al., 2013).”

    From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Bjerrum and Canfield, 2002

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Authors
Bjerrum, C. J., & Canfield, D. E.
Affiliations
University of Southern Denmark (DK)
Corresponding author
Canfield, Donald E.
Venue
Nature
Published
2002-05
Volume
417
Issue
6885
Pages
159-162
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2089410238
Cited by
468
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 18
FWCI
18.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Statens Naturvidenskabelige Forskningsrad
  • Royal Society
  • European Commission
  • Danmarks Grundforskningsfond
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
Keywords
ocean productivity, phosphorus adsorption, iron oxide, banded iron formations, orthophosphate, early Earth, Archean, Proterozoic, oxygen production, cyanobacteria, photosynthesis, carbon burial, atmospheric oxygen, nutrient limitation
MeSH terms
Adsorption, Cyanobacteria, Atmosphere, Carbon, Ferric Compounds, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Oceans and Seas, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Photosynthesis, Solubility, Time Factors, Geologic Sediments

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