Bistability of atmospheric oxygen and the Great Oxidation
Abstract
The history of the Earth has been characterized by a series of major transitions separated by long periods of relative stability. The largest chemical transition was the 'Great Oxidation', approximately 2.4 billion years ago, when atmospheric oxygen concentrations rose from less than 10(-5) of the present atmospheric level (PAL) to more than 0.01 PAL, and possibly to more than 0.1 PAL. This transition took place long after oxygenic photosynthesis is thought to have evolved, but the causes of this delay and of the Great Oxidation itself remain uncertain. Here we show that the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis gave rise to two simultaneously stable steady states for atmospheric oxygen. The existence of a low-oxygen (less than 10(-5) PAL) steady state explains how a reducing atmosphere persisted for at least 300 million years after the onset of oxygenic photosynthesis. The Great Oxidation can be understood as a switch to the high-oxygen (more than 5 x 10(-3) PAL) steady state. The bistability arises because ultraviolet shielding of the troposphere by ozone becomes effective once oxygen levels exceed 10(-5) PAL, causing a nonlinear increase in the lifetime of atmospheric oxygen. Our results indicate that the existence of oxygenic photosynthesis is not a sufficient condition for either an oxygen-rich atmosphere or the presence of an ozone layer, which has implications for detecting life on other planets using atmospheric analysis and for the evolution of multicellular life.
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Permanent atmospheric oxygenation requires ~3 × 10−3 PAL O2 or more to prevent a destabilizing positive feedback of photochemical destruction of tropospheric O2.
“Permanent atmospheric oxygenation requires ~3 × 10−3 PAL O2 or more to prevent a destabilizing positive feedback of photochemical destruction of tropospheric O2 that otherwise occurs when an incipient ozone column is still transparent to far UV (44, 121, 122).”
From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [122]
Very low atmospheric O2 levels can be difficult to reconcile with expected photolysis of O2 in the lower atmosphere in the absence of sufficient ozone shielding.
“Further still, very low atmospheric O2 levels can be difficult to reconcile with expected photolysis of O2 in the lower atmosphere in the absence of sufficient ozone shielding (Goldblatt et al., 2006).”
From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Goldblatt et al., 2006
The model reproduces the rapid rise of oxygen and predicts a time lag of ~10 My between the increase in pO2 and the subsequent rise in sulfate from ~10 μM to >1 mM.
“Our model both reproduces the rapid rise of oxygen (53, 54) (consistent with the rapid disappearance of S-MIF in the cores we analyzed here) and predicts a time lag of ~10 My between the increase in pO2 and the subsequent rise in sulfate from ~10 μM to >1 mM (Fig. 4); this is comparable to the lag in isotope signals estimated above.”
From Rapid oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere 2.33 billion years ago (2016) · cites this paper as [54]
Because organic burial (FBORG) is set constant, the GOE occurs when FVR < FBORG.
“Because we set the organic burial (FBORG) constant, the GOE occurs when FVR < FBORG (53, 54).”
From Rapid oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere 2.33 billion years ago (2016) · cites this paper as [54]
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- Authors
- Goldblatt, C., Lenton, T. M., & Watson, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Goldblatt, Colin
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2006-10
- Volume
- 443
- Issue
- 7112
- Pages
- 683-686
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2030714377
- Semantic Scholar
- b39960db38850372b487e2401506424388ccb72d
- Cited by
- 297
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 13.17
- 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)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Natural Environment Research Council (CEH010024)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Keywords
- Great Oxidation, atmospheric oxygen, bistability, oxygenic photosynthesis, ozone layer, UV protection, reducing atmosphere, early Earth atmosphere, major transitions, biosignatures
- MeSH terms
- Atmosphere, Carbon, Biological Evolution, Methane, Oxidation-Reduction, Oxygen, Ozone, Photosynthesis, Time Factors, Ultraviolet Rays, History, Ancient
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