Paradigm shift in determining Neoproterozoic atmospheric oxygen
Open accessAbstract
We present a new and innovative way of determining the oxygen level of Earth’s past atmosphere by directly measuring inclusion gases trapped in halite. After intensive screening using multiple depositional, textural/fabric, and geochemical parameters, we determined that tectonically undisturbed cumulate, chevron, and cornet halite inclusions may retain atmospheric gas during crystallization from shallow saline, lagoonal, and/or saltpan brine. These are the first measurements of inclusion gas for the Neoproterozoic obtained from 815 ± 15–m.y.–old Browne Formation chevron halite of the Officer Basin, southwest Australia. The 31 gas measurements afford us a direct glimpse of the composition of the mid- to late Neoproterozoic atmosphere and register an average oxygen content of 10.9%. The measured pO2 puts oxygenation of Earth’s paleoatmosphere ∼100–200 m.y. ahead of current models and proxy studies. It also puts oxygenation of the Neoproterozoic atmosphere in agreement with time of diversification of eukaryotes and in advance of the emergence of marine animal life.
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Recent data for gas inclusions in halite dated at 815 Ma, interpreted to reflect trapped ancient atmosphere, put the rise to 50% PAL.
“Moreover, recent data for gas inclusions in halite dated at 815 Ma, interpreted to reflect trapped ancient atmosphere, put the rise to 50% PAL (Blamey et al., 2016; also Steadman et al., 2020).”
From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Blamey et al., 2016
Cites
The rise of oxygen in Earth's early ocean and atmosphere
Lyons, T. W., Reinhard, C. T., & Planavsky, N. J. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature13068 · Cited by 2,810 · cited 6× · see citing works
“However, much remains to be quantified about the redox state of the Proterozoic ocean and atmosphere (Lasaga and Ohmoto, 2002; Canfield, 2005) and especially the emergence of marine animal life during the Neoproterozoic (Canfield et al., 2007; Lyons et al., 2014).”
BackgroundInfluentialLate-Neoproterozoic Deep-Ocean Oxygenation and the Rise of Animal Life
Canfield, D. E., Poulton, S. W., & Narbonne, G. M. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1135013 · Cited by 1,000 · cited 1× · see citing works
“However, much remains to be quantified about the redox state of the Proterozoic ocean and atmosphere (Lasaga and Ohmoto, 2002; Canfield, 2005) and especially the emergence of marine animal life during the Neoproterozoic (Canfield et al., 2007; Lyons et al., 2014).”
BackgroundStatistical analysis of iron geochemical data suggests limited late Proterozoic oxygenation
Sperling, E. A., Wolock, C. J., Morgan, A. S., Gill, B. C., Kunzmann, M., Halverson, G. P., Macdonald, F. A., Knoll, A. H., & Johnston, D. T. (2015) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature14589 · Cited by 637 · see citing works
The rise of atmospheric oxygen
Kump, L. R. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature06587 · Cited by 553 · see citing works
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Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview
Lyons, T. W., Diamond, C. W., Planavsky, N. J., Reinhard, C. T., & Li, C. (2021) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2418 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
“Moreover, recent data for gas inclusions in halite dated at 815 Ma, interpreted to reflect trapped ancient atmosphere, put the rise to 50% PAL (Blamey et al., 2016; also Steadman et al., 2020).”
BackgroundA record of deep-ocean dissolved O2 from the oxidation state of iron in submarine basalts
Stolper, D. A., & Keller, C. B. (2018) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature25009 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Atmosphere oxygen cycling through the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic
Large, R. R., Mukherjee, I., Gregory, D., Steadman, J., Corkrey, R., & Danyushevsky, L. V. (2019) · Mineralium Deposita · doi:10.1007/s00126-019-00873-9 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Controls on the evolution of Ediacaran metazoan ecosystems: A redox perspective
Bowyer, F., Wood, R. A., & Poulton, S. W. (2017) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12232 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Cheng, M., Li, C., Chen, X., Zhou, L., Algeo, T. J., Ling, H.-F., Feng, L.-J., & Jin, C.-S. (2018) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2017.12.007 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Bacterial sulfur disproportionation constrains timing of Neoproterozoic oxygenation
Kunzmann, M., Bui, T. H., Crockford, P. W., Halverson, G. P., Scott, C., Lyons, T. W., & Wing, B. A. (2017) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g38602.1 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Evidence for elevated and variable atmospheric oxygen in the Precambrian
Steadman, J. A., Large, R. R., Blamey, N. J., Mukherjee, I., Corkrey, R., Danyushevsky, L. V., Maslennikov, V., Hollings, P., Garven, G., Brand, U., et al. (2020) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105722 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Self-citationLow oxygen and argon in the Neoproterozoic atmosphere at 815 Ma
Yeung, L. Y. (2017) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2017.09.044 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- Blamey, N. J. F., Brand, U., Parnell, J., Spear, N., Lécuyer, C., Benison, K., Meng, F., & Ni, P.
- Affiliations
- Brock University (CA)
- University of Aberdeen (GB)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- West Virginia University (US)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Nanjing University (CN)
- Venue
- Geology
- Publisher
- Geological Society of America
- Published
- 2016-08-01
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 651-654
- ISSN
- 0091-7613 (ISSN-L)
- 1943-2682
- OpenAlex
- W2461450324
- Cited by
- 92
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 5
- FWCI
- 10.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Geology (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Aberdeen University Research Archive (Aberdeen University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (41473039, 4151101015)
- Brock University
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (7961-15)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Keywords
- paleoatmosphere, trapped gas, Officer Basin, oxygenation of Earth
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