Cited by 396Astro and Planetary SciencePaleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth Systems and Cosmic Evolution

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The Early Faint Sun Paradox: Organic Shielding of Ultraviolet-Labile Greenhouse Gases

Sagan, Carl, Chyba, Christopher·1997·Science

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Abstract

Atmospheric mixing ratios of ∼10 −5 ± 1 for ammonia on the early Earth would have been sufficient, through the resulting greenhouse warming, to counteract the temperature effects of the faint early sun. One argument against such model atmospheres has been the short time scale for ammonia photodissociation by solar ultraviolet light. Here it is shown that ultraviolet absorption by steady-state amounts of high-altitude organic solids produced from methane photolysis may have shielded ammonia sufficiently that ammonia resupply rates were able to maintain surface temperatures above freezing.

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Authors: Sagan, C., & Chyba, C.
Affiliations: University of Arizona (US)
ORCID: Sagan, Carl
Chyba, Christopher
Venue: Science
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Published: 1997-05-23
Volume: 276
Issue: 5316
Pages: 1217-1221
ISSN: 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
1095-9203
DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5316.1217
OpenAlex: W1964099544
Cited by: 396
References: 92
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 17
FWCI: 14.02
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Science (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Space and Planetary Science › Astro and Planetary Science
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
Keywords: early Earth, ammonia, greenhouse gases, UV protection, organic solids, methane photolysis, ammonia photodissociation, atmospheric mixing ratios, surface temperature, early atmosphere
MeSH terms: Ammonia, Atmosphere, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Models, Chemical, Photolysis, Ultraviolet Rays, Solar System, Greenhouse Effect, Earth, Planet, Evolution, Planetary

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The Early Faint Sun Paradox: Organic Shielding of Ultraviolet-Labile Greenhouse Gases

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