About 2.3 Billion Years Ago, a Firehose of Oxygen was Released Into the Atmosphere

Universe Today ^ | Matt WIlliams

[BenLurkin]

Billions of years ago... our planet’s primordial atmosphere was toxic to life as we know it, consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other gases. However, by the Paleoproterozoic Era (2.5–1.6 billion years ago), a dramatic change occurred where oxygen began to be introduced to the atmosphere – known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE).

[S]cientists were not sure if this event – which was the result of photosynthetic bacteria altering the atmosphere – occurred rapidly or not. ... Based on newly-discovered geological evidence, the team concluded that the introduction of oxygen to our atmosphere was “more like a fire hose” than a trickle.

[P]reserved crystallized salts in Russia that are dated to this period..were extracted from a 1.9 km-deep (1.2 mi) hole in Karelia in northwest Russia...

... Using these samples, Blättler and her team were able to learn things about the composition of the oceans and the atmosphere that existed on Earth around the time of the GOE. For starters, the team determined that they contained a surprisingly large amount of sulfate, which is the result of seawater reacting with oxygen.

...

“This is the strongest ever evidence that the ancient seawater from which those minerals precipitated had high sulfate concentrations reaching at least 30 percent of present-day oceanic sulfate as our estimations indicate. This is much higher than previously thought and will require considerable rethinking of the magnitude of oxygenation of Earth’s 2-billion year old atmosphere-ocean system.”

[robel]

Odds of it happening like they hypothesize? Incalculable.

[KC_Conspirator]

lol

[lonevoice]

:-)

[Moonman62]

I tend to focus on the important ones. Such as the development of the eukaryote which many now believe was the the result of endosymbiosis. The mitochondria used to be bacteria, and that only developed one time. The chloroplast also used to be a bacteria, but it was captured twice. The first led to the development of plants. The other was the capture by an amoeba which had no impact at all.

Regardless, it’s all extremely rare.

Your misplaced mention of entropy doesn’t interest me at all.

[Big Red Badger]

There’s 10 minutes I’ll

Never get Back!

[T-Bone Texan]

Well, I just read all about endosymbiosis, and I understood a little.

[Moonman62]

It’s the extreme version of “you are what you eat.”

[SunkenCiv]

[snip] ...our planet's primordial atmosphere was toxic to life as we know it, consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other gases. However, by the Paleoproterozoic Era (2.5–1.6 billion years ago), a dramatic change occurred... known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE)... the introduction of oxygen to our atmosphere was "more like a fire hose" than a trickle... the oceans and the atmosphere... contained a surprisingly large amount of sulfate, which is the result of seawater reacting with oxygen.... the ancient seawater from which those minerals precipitated had high sulfate concentrations reaching at least 30 percent of present-day oceanic sulfate as our estimations indicate. This is much higher than previously thought and will require considerable rethinking of the magnitude of oxygenation of Earth's 2-billion year old atmosphere-ocean system." [/snip]

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Thanks BenLurkin.

• The Origin of Nitrate Deposits
• The Transmutation of Oxygen into Sulphur
• The Origin of the Oceans

  [snip] Paleontological research makes it rather apparent that marine animals in some early age were more closely related to fresh-water fauna; in other words, the salinity of the oceans increased markedly at some age in the past. [/snip]

[SunkenCiv]

Tell your model to eat something, she’s too thin.

[vpintheak]

The knots atheists tie themselves into, are simply amazing.

[BenLurkin]

What makes you think they are atheists?

[Quality_Not_Quantity]

That’s right; it’s turtles all the way down.

[vpintheak]

Past history, knowledge, experience. Hey, I could be wrong. However, as much as my wife hates it; I tend to be right a whole lot more than I’m wrong.

[ShadowAce]

I went back in time 2.5322 years ago, planted a bunch of Kudzu, come back, and this article shows up.

How would two and a half years change anything?

[BenLurkin]

Okay, good.

For a minute there it looked like you were confused about the science.

[COBOL2Java]

Genesis 1:1 is much easier to believe—maybe because it’s the truth from the Author of truth.

How long was a day?

[Sawdring]

The knots atheists tie themselves into, are simply amazing.

I know, and to think everything about creation was figured out and written down by the glittering minds of the fourth century.

[vpintheak]

No... It was written long before that. The King James version, which I believe you may be referring to; was translated in 1611.

[Mike Darancette]

Test.

[justa-hairyape]

Probably just a question of when, not if. Either way.