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The oxidation state of Hadean magmas and implications for early Earth’s atmosphere
Abstract
Magmatic outgassing of volatiles from Earth's interior probably played a critical part in determining the composition of the earliest atmosphere, more than 4,000 million years (Myr) ago. Given an elemental inventory of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur, the identity of molecular species in gaseous volcanic emanations depends critically on the pressure (fugacity) of oxygen. Reduced melts having oxygen fugacities close to that defined by the iron-wüstite buffer would yield volatile species such as CH(4), H(2), H(2)S, NH(3) and CO, whereas melts close to the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer would be similar to present-day conditions and would be dominated by H(2)O, CO(2), SO(2) and N(2) (refs 1-4). Direct constraints on the oxidation state of terrestrial magmas before 3,850 Myr before present (that is, the Hadean eon) are tenuous because the rock record is sparse or absent. Samples from this earliest period of Earth's history are limited to igneous detrital zircons that pre-date the known rock record, with ages approaching ∼4,400 Myr (refs 5-8). Here we report a redox-sensitive calibration to determine the oxidation state of Hadean magmatic melts that is based on the incorporation of cerium into zircon crystals. We find that the melts have average oxygen fugacities that are consistent with an oxidation state defined by the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer, similar to present-day conditions. Moreover, selected Hadean zircons (having chemical characteristics consistent with crystallization specifically from mantle-derived melts) suggest oxygen fugacities similar to those of Archaean and present-day mantle-derived lavas as early as ∼4,350 Myr before present. These results suggest that outgassing of Earth's interior later than ∼200 Myr into the history of Solar System formation would not have resulted in a reducing atmosphere.
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“However, the reducing atmosphere scenario of early Earth (on which the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis is based) have been challenged”
From The Emergence of Life (2019) · cites this paper as Trail et al. 2011
In the citing paper
“Unfortunately, current theory holds that Earth’s native atmosphere was more oxidizing than the Miller atmosphere.”
From Prebiotic plausibility and networks of paradox-resolving independent models (2018) · cites this paper as [8]
In the citing paper
“Nitrogen was more likely present as dinitrogen (N2), not ammonia.”
From Prebiotic plausibility and networks of paradox-resolving independent models (2018) · cites this paper as [8]
In the citing paper
“Carbon was more likely present as carbon dioxide (CO2), not methane.”
From Prebiotic plausibility and networks of paradox-resolving independent models (2018) · cites this paper as [8]
In the citing paper
“Analysis of the late veneer starts with a generally accepted premise that the reducing power of early Earth was quickly lost early by the gravitational sinking of heavy metallic iron to its core. This is attested by the aforementioned high oxidation state of the early Earth mantle.”
From Prebiotic plausibility and networks of paradox-resolving independent models (2018) · cites this paper as [8]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Trail, D., Watson, E. B., & Tailby, N. D.
- Affiliations
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Trail, Dustin
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2011-11-30
- Volume
- 480
- Issue
- 7375
- Pages
- 79-82
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2031928338
- Cited by
- 613
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 49 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 19.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- NASA Astrobiology Institute
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Space and Planetary Science › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Keywords
- oxidation state, early Earth atmosphere, oxygen fugacity, zircon, cerium incorporation, iron-wüstite buffer, volatile outgassing, detrital zircon, mantle oxidation state
- MeSH terms
- Atmosphere, Oxidation-Reduction, Earth, Planet, Volcanic Eruptions
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