The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 43 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Dating the rise of atmospheric oxygen
Abstract
Several lines of geological and geochemical evidence indicate that the level of atmospheric oxygen was extremely low before 2.45 billion years (Gyr) ago, and that it had reached considerable levels by 2.22 Gyr ago. Here we present evidence that the rise of atmospheric oxygen had occurred by 2.32 Gyr ago. We found that syngenetic pyrite is present in organic-rich shales of the 2.32-Gyr-old Rooihoogte and Timeball Hill formations, South Africa. The range of the isotopic composition of sulphur in this pyrite is large and shows no evidence of mass-independent fractionation, indicating that atmospheric oxygen was present at significant levels (that is, greater than 10(-5) times that of the present atmospheric level) during the deposition of these units. The presence of rounded pebbles of sideritic iron formation at the base of the Rooihoogte Formation and an extensive and thick ironstone layer consisting of haematitic pisolites and oölites in the upper Timeball Hill Formation indicate that atmospheric oxygen rose significantly, perhaps for the first time, during the deposition of the Rooihoogte and Timeball Hill formations. These units were deposited between what are probably the second and third of the three Palaeoproterozoic glacial events.
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“The Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) at 2.45-2.22Ga (Bekker et al., 2004;Guo et al., 2009;Gumsley et al., 2017) marks the rapid appearance of free oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere (Anbar et al., 2007;Sessions et al., 2009)”
From Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth (2020) · cites this paper as Bekker et al., 2004
In the citing paper
“Although minor occurrences of low δ34S pyrite have recently been reported in late Archean strata by in situ analysis (58), samples studied here are the oldest samples that exhibit low δ34S values in bulk rock analyses (18, 59).”
From Rapid oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere 2.33 billion years ago (2016) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“resolving the origin of the hydrocarbon biomarkers hosted in Archean rocks would either recast or solidify the late Archean framework in which we understand one of the most profound biologically mediated transformations of the planet-the Great Oxidation Event [GOE; ∼2.4 billion years ago (Ga)] (13).”
From Reappraisal of hydrocarbon biomarkers in Archean rocks (2015) · cites this paper as [13]
In the citing paper
“In the rock record, this event is manifested by a number of changes (see Farquhar et al., 2011, 2014, for reviews), including (1) loss of easily oxidisable detrital uraninite, pyrite, and siderite from fluvial siliciclastic sediments at ca. 2.4 Ga”
From Iron formations: A global record of Neoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic environmental history (2017) · cites this paper as Bekker et al., 2004
In the citing paper
“that effectively disappeared from the sedimentary record between 2.45 and 2.32 Ga (e.g., Bekker et al., 2004;Farquhar et al., 2000;2011).”
From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Bekker et al., 2004
In the citing paper
“The disappearance of S-MIF is perhaps the most accepted evidence for the onset of widespread and permanent oxygenation of the Earth's surface to levels above 10 -5 times present atmospheric levels (PAL) (see Pavlov and Kasting, 2002;Bekker et al., 2004;Farquhar et al., 2000;2011).”
From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Bekker et al., 2004
Citations
Cites
Atmospheric Influence of Earth's Earliest Sulfur Cycle
Farquhar, J., Bao, H., & Thiemens, M. (2000) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.289.5480.756 · Cited by 1,805
Olivarez, A. M., & Owen, R. M. (1990) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(90)90417-j · Cited by 1,145
Pavlov, A. A., & Kasting, J. F. (2002) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/153110702753621321 · Cited by 912
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Calibration of Sulfate Levels in the Archean Ocean
Habicht, K. S., Gade, M., Thamdrup, B., Berg, P., & Canfield, D. E. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1078265 · Cited by 756
Calibration of Sulfate Levels in the Archean Ocean
Gao, X., Thiemens, M. H., Farquhar, J. D., Jackson, T. L., Savarino, J., Airieau, S., Albarède, F., van der Hilst, R. D., & Kárason, H. (2002) · Cited by 607
Paleosols and the evolution of atmospheric oxygen; a critical review
Rye, R., & Holland, H. D. (1998) · American Journal of Science · doi:10.2475/ajs.298.8.621 · Cited by 524
Self-citationFarquhar, J., Savarino, J., Airieau, S., & Thiemens, M. H. (2001) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/2000je001437 · Cited by 518
Earth's Pre-Pleistocene Glacial Record
Hughes, T. (1982) · Sedimentary Geology · doi:10.1016/0037-0738(82)90028-8 · Cited by 467
Isotopic fractionation and the quantification of 17 O anomalies in the oxygen three-isotope system
Miller, M. F. (2002) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/s0016-7037(02)00832-3 · Cited by 443
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- MacGregor, A. M. The problem of the Precambrian atmosphere. S. Afr. J. Sci. 23, 155–172 (1927)
- Yang, W. & Holland, H. D. The redox-sensitive trace elements, Mo, U, and Re in Precambrian carbonaceous shales: Indicators of the Great Oxidation Event. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs 34, 381 (2002)
- El Tabakh, M., Grey, K., Pirajno, F. & Schreiber, B. C. Pseudomorphs after evaporitic minerals interbedded with 2.2 Ga stromatolites of the Yerriba basin, Western Australia: Origin and significance. Geology 27, 871–874 (1999) · DOI · Paper page
- Beukes, N. J. & Klein, C. in Proterozoic Biosphere (eds Schopf, J. W. & Klein, C.) 147–151 (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK, 1992)
- Visser, J. N. J. The Timeball Hill Formation at Pretoria—A prograding shore-line deposit. Ann. Geol. Surv. (S. Afr.) 9, 115–118 (1971) (1971–72)
- Beukes, N. J., Dorland, H. C. & Gutzmer, J. Pisolitic ironstone and ferricrete in the 2.22–2.4 Ga Timeball Hill Formation, Transvaal Supergroup: Implications for the history of atmospheric oxygen. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs 34, 283 (2002)
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Microbial Engines That Drive Earth's Biogeochemical Cycles
Falkowski, P. G., Fenchel, T., & Delong, E. F. (2008) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1153213 · Cited by 3,379
The rise of oxygen in Earth's early ocean and atmosphere
Lyons, T. W., Reinhard, C. T., & Planavsky, N. J. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature13068 · Cited by 2,810
The Evolution of Modern Eukaryotic Phytoplankton
Falkowski, P. G., Katz, M. E., Knoll, A. H., Quigg, A., Raven, J. A., Schofield, O., & Taylor, F. J. R. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1095964 · Cited by 1,613
The oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans
Holland, H. D. (2006) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2006.1838 · Cited by 1,535
“These contain no significant MIF-S signal (Bekker et al .”
BackgroundSelf-citationCO2 CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS IN ALGAE: Mechanisms, Environmental Modulation, and Evolution
Giordano, M., Beardall, J., & Raven, J. A. (2005) · Annual Review of Plant Biology · doi:10.1146/annurev.arplant.56.032604.144052 · Cited by 1,507
“7 Gyr ago (24, 30, 85, 191), such a diffusive supply of CO2 to a phytoplankton cell would have been adequate even if its RUBISCO had a low CO2 affinity and a low CO2/O2 selectivity.”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Bekker, A., Holland, H. D., Wang, P.-L., Rumble, D., Stein, H. J., Hannah, J. L., Coetzee, L. L., & Beukes, N. J.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- Colorado State University (US)
- University of Johannesburg (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Bekker, A.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2004-01
- Volume
- 427
- Issue
- 6970
- Pages
- 117-120
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2090027771
- Cited by
- 1,435
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 80 · 2018: 78 · 2017: 73 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 70 · 2014: 72 · 2013: 99 · 2012: 69
- FWCI
- 53.34
- 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
- National Science Foundation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Keywords
- Great Oxidation, atmospheric oxygen rise, sulfur isotopes, mass-independent fractionation, oolites, Neoproterozoic, Precambrian geochemistry
- MeSH terms
- Atmosphere, Carbonates, Cold Climate, Geography, Ice, Iron, Isotopes, Oxygen, South Africa, Sulfides, Sulfur, Time Factors, Geologic Sediments
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