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Bistability of atmospheric oxygen and the Great Oxidation

Goldblatt, Colin, Lenton, Timothy M., Watson, Andrew J.·2006·Nature

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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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Self-citation

Authors: Goldblatt, C., Lenton, T. M., & Watson, A. J.
Affiliations: University of East Anglia (GB)
Corresponding author: Goldblatt, Colin
ORCID: Goldblatt, Colin
Lenton, Timothy M.
Watson, Andrew J.
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2006-10
Volume: 443
Issue: 7112
Pages: 683-686
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature05169
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 › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Space and Planetary Science › 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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Bistability of atmospheric oxygen and the Great Oxidation

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