Cited by 357Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth Systems and Cosmic EvolutionAstro and Planetary Science

A Revised, Hazy Methane Greenhouse for the Archean Earth

Haqq-Misra, Jacob D., Domagal-Goldman, Shawn D., Kasting, Patrick J., Kasting, James F.·2008·Astrobiology

Abstract

Geological and biological evidence suggests that Earth was warm during most of its early history, despite the fainter young Sun. Upper bounds on the atmospheric CO2 concentration in the Late Archean/Paleoproterozoic (2.8-2.2 Ga) from paleosol data suggest that additional greenhouse gases must have been present. Methanogenic bacteria, which were arguably extant at that time, may have contributed to a high concentration of atmospheric CH4, and previous calculations had indicated that a CH4-CO2-H2O greenhouse could have produced warm Late Archean surface temperatures while still satisfying the paleosol constraints on pCO2. Here, we revisit this conclusion. Correction of an error in the CH4 absorption coefficients, combined with the predicted early onset of climatically cooling organic haze, suggest that the amount of greenhouse warming by CH4 was more limited and that pCO2 must therefore have been 0.03 bar, at or above the upper bound of the value obtained from paleosols. Enough warming from CH4 remained in the Archean, however, to explain why Earth's climate cooled and became glacial when atmospheric O2 levels rose in the Paleoproterozoic. Our new model also shows that greenhouse warming by higher hydrocarbon gases, especially ethane (C2H6), may have helped to keep the Late Archean Earth warm.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1089/ast.2007.0197

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43 of 43 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The most plausible solution to the FYS is a big greenhouse effect.

    “The most plausible solution to the FYS is a big greenhouse effect (14, 214, 215).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [215]

  • Methane levels of 10^3 to 10^4 ppmv produce ~10 to 15 K of Archean greenhouse warming, which lowers the pCO2 needed to warm the Archean Earth.

    “Methane levels of 103 to 104 ppmv produce ~10 to 15 K of Archean greenhouse warming, which lowers the pCO2 needed to warm the Archean Earth (Table 1).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [215]

  • Some of this warming comes from a few ppmv of ethane, C2H6, which is derived from CH4.

    “Some of this warming comes from a few parts per million by volume of ethane, C2H6, which is derived from CH4 (215).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [215]

  • Too much CH4 relative to CO2 would create the high-altitude organic haze, which may cool Earth by up to ~20 K by absorbing incoming solar radiation and radiating energy back to space in a so-called anti-greenhouse effect.

    “However, too much CH4 relative to CO2 would create the high-altitude organic haze mentioned earlier, which may cool Earth by up to ~20 K (1, 215) by absorbing incoming solar radiation and radiating energy back to space in a so-called “anti-greenhouse effect” (216).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [215]

  • One resolution to the faint young Sun paradox is that the early atmosphere was probably very different from the modern atmosphere and may have contained higher levels of greenhouse gases.

    “One resolution is that the early atmosphere was probably very different from the atmosphere of modern Earth and may have contained higher levels of greenhouse gases (Pavlov et al., 2000; Haqq-Misra et al., 2008).”

    From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Haqq-Misra et al., 2008

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Authors
Haqq-Misra, J. D., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Kasting, P. J., & Kasting, J. F.
Affiliations
Pennsylvania State University (US)
Venue
Astrobiology
Published
2008-12
Volume
8
Issue
6
Pages
1127-1137
ISSN
  • 1531-1074 (ISSN-L)
  • 1557-8070
OpenAlex
W2038887223
Cited by
357
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 27
FWCI
9.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Astrobiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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
faint young Sun, atmospheric CO2, organic haze, methanogenic bacteria, Late Archean, Paleoproterozoic, paleosols, global warming, ethane, early Earth climate, atmospheric oxygen rise, glacial climate
MeSH terms
Absorption, Altitude, Atmosphere, Carbon Dioxide, Climate, Ethane, Extraterrestrial Environment, Hydrocarbons, Light, Methane, Pressure, Surface Properties, Temperature, Time Factors, Greenhouse Effect, Earth, Planet, History, Ancient

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