Imagine Earth taking 2 billion years to perfect its air – scientists from the Chinese mainland just traced three massive oxygen surges that turned our planet into a breathing machine! 🌍💨
In a new Nature study, a team from Chengdu University of Technology and Nanjing University, led by Professor Li Chao of the Institute of Sedimentary Geology, dug into the past using triple oxygen isotopes in sulfate rocks. These tiny isotope differences act like atmospheric 'fingerprints.' 🔍
Here's the timeline of Earth's big oxygen upgrades:
- Paleoproterozoic era (2.4–2.1 billion years ago): Earth's first taste of oxygen.
- Neoproterozoic era (around 1 billion years ago): Oxygen levels climbed again.
- Paleozoic era (about 440 million years ago): The final push, reaching modern oxygen levels by ~410 million years ago.
During the Neoproterozoic surge, shifts in carbon, sulfur and oxygen isotopes reveal that after oxygen rose in the atmosphere, it started periodically oxidizing the mostly oxygen-poor oceans – like a dance between sky and sea. 🌊☁️
Why it matters? These discoveries lay out the story of how complex eukaryotic life got its stage. They also open new windows for understanding habitable planets beyond Earth and the formation of ancient hydrocarbon rocks. 🚀🔬
Next time you take a deep breath, remember: it took almost 2 billion years and three big surges to make our air this rich. Now that's a level-up! 🎮🔋
Reference(s):
Scientists trace phased rise of oxygen on Earth over 2 billion years
cgtn.com
