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To: Tax-chick

> Nobody was there to observe the conditions...

Pre-biotic conditions on Earth cannot be known with certainty, but they can be known *generally* based on conditions foudn in the rest of the universe. Free oxygen, for example, is astonishingly rare. Somewhere around 95% of the visible mass of the universe is hydrogen; thus hydrogen dominates. Free oxygen very rapidly chemicaly bonds with hydrogen and forms water. Same with methane. And there are no known non-biological processes which will both produce and sustain an oxidizing atmosphere. If you were to kill off *all* life on Earth, Earth would have a carbon dioxide/nitrogen atmosphere relatively soon.

Looking at the rest of the universe, we can make a reasonable approximation of wha tthe pre-biotic atmosphere of the Earth was like. It it not "circular reasoning" to conclude that what holds true most places in the universe would also hold true on Earth. Consequently, a CO2/methane/nitrogen atmosphere on the early Earth is entirely reasonable and consistent with all available information.


152 posted on 12/21/2004 11:50:45 AM PST by orionblamblam
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To: orionblamblam
Free oxygen very rapidly chemicaly bonds with hydrogen and forms water.

Under what temperature, pressure, and concentration?
Oxygen molecules, atoms, or ions?

Hydrogen molecules, atoms, or ions?

Double-check your rate constants, not just equilibrium constants...

199 posted on 12/21/2004 4:45:41 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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