Cited by 200Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth Systems and Cosmic EvolutionGeological and Geochemical Analysis

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 190 of the 192 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Biogeochemical modelling of the rise in atmospheric oxygen

Abstract

Understanding the evolution of atmospheric molecular oxygen levels is a fundamental unsolved problem in Earth's history. We develop a quantitative biogeochemical model that simulates the Palaeoproterozoic transition of the Earth's atmosphere from a weakly reducing state to an O 2 ‐rich state. The purpose is to gain an insight into factors that plausibly control the timing and rapidity of the oxic transition. The model uses a simplified atmospheric chemistry (parameterized from complex photochemical models) and evolving redox fluxes in the Earth system. We consider time‐dependent fluxes that include organic carbon burial and associated oxygen production, reducing gases from metamorphic and volcanic sources, oxidative weathering, and the escape of hydrogen to space. We find that the oxic transition occurs in a geologically short time when the O 2 ‐consuming flux of reducing gases falls below the flux of organic carbon burial that produces O 2 . A short timescale for the oxic transition is enhanced by a positive feedback due to decreasing destruction of O 2 as stratospheric ozone forms, which is captured in our atmospheric chemistry parameterization. We show that one numerically self‐consistent solution for the rise of O 2 involves a decline in flux of reducing gases driven by irreversible secular oxidation of the crust caused by time‐integrated hydrogen escape to space in the preoxic atmosphere, and that this is compatible with constraints from the geological record. In this model, the timing of the oxic transition is strongly affected by buffers of reduced materials, particularly iron, in the continental crust. An alternative version of the model, where greater fluxes of reduced hydrothermal cations from the Archean seafloor consume O 2 , produces a similar history of O 2 and CH 4 . When climate and biosphere feedbacks are included in our model of the oxic transition, we find that multiple ‘Snowball Earth’ events are simulated under certain circumstances, as methane collapses and rises repeatedly before reaching a new steady‐state.

Overview

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2006.00084.x

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Citations

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2 of the 192 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Frost BR, 1991, Reviews in Mineralogy, 1
  2. Hayes JM, 1994, Early Life on Earth, 220
  3. Kasting JF, 1979, PhD Thesis, 259
  4. 10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<1135:EIPGPF>2.3.CO;2 · DOI · Paper page
  5. De Pater I, 2001, Planetary Sciences, 528
  6. Sleep NH, 2005, Metal Ions in Biology Systems, 49
  7. Walker JCG, 1977, Evolution of the Atmosphere, 318
  8. Walter FM, 1991, The Sun in Time, 633

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Metadata

Authors
CLAIRE, M. W., CATLING, D. C., & ZAHNLE, K. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Ames Research Center (US)
Corresponding author
CLAIRE, M. W.
Venue
Geobiology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2006-10-27
Volume
4
Issue
4
Pages
239-269
ISSN
  • 1472-4669 (ISSN-L)
  • 1472-4677
OpenAlex
W2169379116
Cited by
200
References
192
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 8
FWCI
6.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Geobiology (publishedVersion)
  • Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
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 › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Keywords
atmospheric oxygen rise, Great Oxidation, Paleoproterozoic, biogeochemical modeling, organic carbon burial, reducing gases, oxidative weathering, hydrogen escape, stratospheric ozone, positive feedback, methane, Snowball Earth

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