Hydrogen-Nitrogen Greenhouse Warming in Earth's Early Atmosphere
Open accessAbstract
Faint Young Sun: During the first ∼billion years after the formation of Earth, the Sun was significantly less luminous than today, delivering considerably less solar energy to our planet. Nevertheless, the geological record shows that Earth harbored liquid water and was not frozen—as would be expected on the basis of the reduced solar output. The presence of liquid water on Earth during this time is referred to as the “faint young Sun” paradox. Wordsworth and Pierrehumbert (p. 64 ; see the Perspective by Kasting ) suggest a new explanation for this mystery, invoking absorption of solar radiation owing to collisions between atmospheric H 2 and N 2 as a source of heating. This mechanism could have supplied enough extra warming to keep surface temperatures above 0°C.
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Long-term three-dimensional climate simulations coupled to a simple ice evolution model have demonstrated that ice migrates to the valley network source regions regardless of where it is initially located on the surface.
“Long-term three-dimensional climate simulations coupled to a simple ice evolution model (Wordsworth et al. 2013) have demonstrated that as a result, ice migrates to the valley network source regions regardless of where it is initially located on the surface.”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
Another proposed early greenhouse gas is H2, if it attained percentage abundances.
“Another proposed early greenhouse gas is H2, if it attained percentage abundances (14, 217, 218).”
From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [218]
Most recent models suggest percent-levels of hydrogen would be present in the atmosphere before life arose.
“most recent models suggest percent-levels of hydrogen would be present in the atmosphere before life arose”
From The Emergence of Life (2019) · cites this paper as Wordsworth and Pierrehumbert 2013
The warming effect of CO2 clouds on early Mars is likely to have been small in reality.
“Hence the warming effect of CO 2 clouds is likely to have been small in reality.”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
Recent three-dimensional global climate modeling has shown that cloud coverage close to 100% is never reached in practice.
“Recent threedimensional global climate modeling (Forget et al. 2013; Wordsworth et al. 2013) has shown that this level is never reached in practice.”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
The conclusion that a clear-sky CO2-H2O atmosphere alone could not have warmed early Mars has recently been confirmed by three-dimensional climate models that include cloud effects.
“This conclusion, which was reached by Kasting using a one-dimensional clear-sky radiativeconvective climate model, has recently been confirmed by three-dimensional climate models that include cloud effects (Forget et al. 2013; Wordsworth et al. 2013).”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
Wordsworth & Pierrehumbert (2013) showed that N2-H2 CIA can cause significant warming on terrestrial planets even when H2 is a minor atmospheric constituent, because broadening of the CIA spectrum at moderate temperatures causes absorption to extend into window regions.
“Wordsworth & Pierrehumbert (2013) showed that N 2 -H 2 CIA can cause significant warming on terrestrial planets even when H 2 is a minor atmospheric constituent, because broadening of the CIA spectrum at moderate temperatures causes absorption to extend into window regions.”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth & Pierrehumbert 2013
Climate models that allow horizontal temperature variations show that in combination, various atmospheric and orbital effects can combine to create marginally warm conditions and hence small amounts of episodic melting, particularly if the meltwater is assumed to be briny.
“Climate models that allow horizontal temperature variations show that in combination, various atmospheric and orbital effects can combine to create marginally warm conditions and hence small amounts of episodic melting (Richardson & Mischna 2005; Wordsworth et al. 2013; Kite et al. 2013; Mischna et al. 2013; Wordsworth et al. 2015), particularly if the meltwater is assumed to be briny (Fair´ en et”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
The adiabatic cooling effect led Wordsworth et al. to propose the 'icy highlands' scenario for the early climate.
“The adiabatic cooling effect led Wordsworth et al. to propose the so-called 'icy highlands' scenario for the early climate (Fig. 5).”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
Scanlon et al. (2013) used an analytical model combined with the 3D GCM of Wordsworth et al. (2013) to study orographic precipitation over Warrego Vallis and were able to match local precipitation patterns with the valley network locations.
“For example, Scanlon et al. (2013) used an analytical model combined with the 3D GCM of Wordsworth et al. (2013) to study orographic precipitation over Warrego Vallis and were able to match local precipitation patterns with the valley network locations.”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2013
Radiative-convective calculations using the model described in Wordsworth & Pierrehumbert (2013) indicate that a 1 M⊕ planet at Mars' orbit with an atmosphere dominated by CO2 and H2O would have a surface temperature of 288 K for an atmospheric pressure of around 3-5 bar.
“Radiativeconvective calculations using the model described in Wordsworth & Pierrehumbert (2013) indicate that a 1 M ⊕ planet at Mars' orbit with an atmosphere dominated by CO 2 and H 2 O would have a surface temperature of 288 K for an atmospheric pressure of around 3-5 bar - a small amount in comparison with Earth's total carbon inventory (Sleep & Zahnle 2001; Hayes & Waldbauer 2006).”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth & Pierrehumbert 2013
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“According to Wordsworth and Pierrehumbert (2013), if the atmosphere contains three times of the present level of N2 and 10% of H2, the surface temperature increases by roughly 10 to 20 K due to a H2-N2 collision induced absorption (CIA) (see also Figure S14).”
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- Authors
- Wordsworth, R., & Pierrehumbert, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wordsworth, Robin
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2013-01-04
- Volume
- 339
- Issue
- 6115
- Pages
- 64-67
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W1985008271
- Cited by
- 207
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 20
- FWCI
- 13.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- nrs.harvard.edu
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
- Keywords
- early Earth atmosphere, global warming, atmospheric composition, methanogenic archaea, global cooling, CO2 concentration
- MeSH terms
- Atmosphere, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Greenhouse Effect, Earth, Planet, Global Warming
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