Cited by 73Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsOrigins and Evolution of LifeEarth Systems and Cosmic Evolution

Availability of O 2 and H 2 O 2 on Pre-Photosynthetic Earth

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Haqq-Misra, Jacob, Kasting, James F., Lee, Sukyoung·2011·Astrobiology

Abstract

Old arguments that free O 2 must have been available at Earth's surface prior to the origin of photosynthesis have been revived by a new study that shows that aerobic respiration can occur at dissolved oxygen concentrations much lower than had previously been thought, perhaps as low as 0.05 n M , which corresponds to a partial pressure for O 2 of about 4 × 10 −8 bar. We used numerical models to study whether such O 2 concentrations might have been provided by atmospheric photochemistry. Results show that disproportionation of H 2 O 2 near the surface might have yielded enough O 2 to satisfy this constraint. Alternatively, poleward transport of O 2 from the equatorial stratosphere into the polar night region, followed by downward transport in the polar vortex, may have brought O 2 directly to the surface. Thus, our calculations indicate that this “early respiration” hypothesis might be physically reasonable. Key Words: Early Earth—Oxygen—Respiration—Tracer transport—General circulation. Astrobiology 11, 293–302.

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Crossref · 10.1089/ast.2010.0572

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  • Photolytic and lightning-induced breakdown of CO2, along with disproportionation of H2O2 produced from photolysis of water vapor, would have yielded an average ground-level O2 abundance on the order of 10^-11 times the present atmospheric level.

    “Photolytic and lightning-induced breakdown of CO 2 , along with a disproportionation of H 2 O 2 produced from photolysis of water vapor, would have yielded an average ground-level O 2 abundance on the order of 10 -11 times the present atmospheric level (PAL) (Haqq-Misra et al. 2011).”

    From The History of Ocean Oxygenation (2022) · cites this paper as Haqq-Misra et al. 2011

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Authors
Haqq-Misra, J., Kasting, J. F., & Lee, S.
Affiliations
Pennsylvania State University (US)
Corresponding author
Haqq-Misra, Jacob
Venue
Astrobiology
Published
2011-05
Volume
11
Issue
4
Pages
293-302
ISSN
  • 1531-1074 (ISSN-L)
  • 1557-8070
OpenAlex
W1526726001
Cited by
73
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
FWCI
3.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Astrobiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
Keywords
dissolved oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, atmospheric photochemistry, aerobic respiration, hydrogen peroxide disproportionation, polar vortex, origin of photosynthesis, early Earth atmosphere
MeSH terms
Aerobiosis, Hydrogen Peroxide, Motion, Oxygen, Photosynthesis, Seasons, Earth, Planet, History, Ancient

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