Cited by 52Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsOrigins and Evolution of LifeGeochemistry and Elemental Analysis

Atmospheric hydrogen peroxide and Eoarchean iron formations

Pecoits, E., Smith, M. L., Catling, D. C., Philippot, P., Kappler, A., Konhauser, K. O.·2015·Geobiology

Abstract

It is widely accepted that photosynthetic bacteria played a crucial role in Fe(II) oxidation and the precipitation of iron formations (IF) during the Late Archean-Early Paleoproterozoic (2.7-2.4 Ga). It is less clear whether microbes similarly caused the deposition of the oldest IF at ca. 3.8 Ga, which would imply photosynthesis having already evolved by that time. Abiological alternatives, such as the direct oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) by ultraviolet radiation may have occurred, but its importance has been discounted in environments where the injection of high concentrations of dissolved iron directly into the photic zone led to chemical precipitation reactions that overwhelmed photooxidation rates. However, an outstanding possibility remains with respect to photochemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere that might generate hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), a recognized strong oxidant for ferrous iron. Here, we modeled the amount of H2 O2 that could be produced in an Eoarchean atmosphere using updated solar fluxes and plausible CO2 , O2 , and CH4 mixing ratios. Irrespective of the atmospheric simulations, the upper limit of H2 O2 rainout was calculated to be <10(6) molecules cm(-2) s(-1) . Using conservative Fe(III) sedimentation rates predicted for submarine hydrothermal settings in the Eoarchean, we demonstrate that the flux of H2 O2 was insufficient by several orders of magnitude to account for IF deposition (requiring ~10(11) H2 O2 molecules cm(-2) s(-1) ). This finding further constrains the plausible Fe(II) oxidation mechanisms in Eoarchean seawater, leaving, in our opinion, anoxygenic phototrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing micro-organisms the most likely mechanism responsible for Earth's oldest IF.

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Crossref · 10.1111/gbi.12116

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  • The amount of hydrogen peroxide derived from atmospheric reactions is orders of magnitude too small to account for the Fe(III) sedimentation required to form IF.

    “it was determined that the amount of hydrogen peroxide derived from atmospheric reactions is orders of magnitude too small to account for the Fe(III) sedimentation required to form IF (Pecoits et al., 2015).”

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Authors
Pecoits, E., Smith, M. L., Catling, D. C., Philippot, P., Kappler, A., & Konhauser, K. O.
Affiliations
  • Equipe Géobiosphère Institut de Physique du Globe‐Sorbonne Paris Cité Université Paris Diderot CNRS Paris France
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • University of Tübingen (DE)
  • University of Alberta (CA)
Venue
Geobiology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2014-10-16
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
1-14
ISSN
  • 1472-4669 (ISSN-L)
  • 1472-4677
OpenAlex
W2073251952
Cited by
52
References
127
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8
FWCI
5.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Geobiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Agouron Institute
  • ANR eLife2 (ANR-10-BLAN-060)
  • UnivEarthS Labex program at Sorbonne Paris Cité (ANR-10-LABX-0023, ANR-11-IDEX-0005-02)
  • NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program (NNX12AN87H)
  • NASA Exobiology Program (NNX10AQ90G)
  • NASA Astrobiology Institute's Virtual Planetary Laboratory under NASA (NNH05ZDA001C)
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
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 › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
Keywords
hydrogen peroxide, iron-formation, Fe(II) oxidation, anoxygenic phototrophy, atmospheric photochemistry, submarine hydrothermal systems, iron precipitation
MeSH terms
Atmosphere, Ferric Compounds, Ferrous Compounds, Hydrogen Peroxide, Seawater, Earth, Planet, Evolution, Planetary

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