Earth's oxygen levels are dropping.Photo by(@xiaoke chen/iStock) A study published earlier this month discloses the findings of Earth undergoing a deoxygenation event. Oxygen levels are expected to decrease and methane levels are expected to increase. This is considered a natural phenomenon and not entirely influenced by global warming. However, global warming is indicative of an event set to transpire, and current environmental standards are not slowing the process.
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Researchers studied rocks called barites located on three different continents
These are formed by interactions between ocean water and vents on the sea bed
However, they also capture minerals weathered into the ocean from the land
Studying these allowed the team to determine when weathering first started
This and by extension, the emergence of land occurred 3.7 billion years ago
If a planet has a lot of methane in its atmosphere, life is the most likely cause phys.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phys.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.