We take the existence of oxygen on our planet for granted, but early in its days, Earth did not have much of it. There was a spike in amount of oxygen available at some point, and this burst of oxygen has been puzzling for the scientific community. We found evidence of it in Australian shale. Today, scientists believe that this event was caused by volcanic activity which also yielded phosphorus. It is understood that phosphorus was beneficial for microbes existing in that time.
Key Takeaways:
- Research suggests that oxygen arrived on Earth before what is known as the Great Oxidation Event.
- Researchers found evidence of mercury in rock that most likely came from a volcano eruption.
- These findings are just one of a number of connections between solid Earth and the evolution of life.
“So what produced the oxygen? The researchers say it was life itself, in the form of microbes feasting on phosphorus draining into waterways from volcanic ash and lava fields.”
Read more: https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/earth-first-oxygen
References:
- Big Think (Website)
- Big Think (YouTube Channel)
- THE SCI EDGE (YouTube Channel)
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