Study Finds Drastic Fluctuations in Atmospheric Oxygen After its Early Appearance
Written by AZoCleantechApr 6 2021
A new study reveals that the permanent increase in oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, which enabled the emergence of life as it is known, occurred 100 million years later than considered earlier.
Biogeochemist Simon Poulton, left, sprays water on drill core to see sedimentary rocks and select samples for research. Image Credit: Andrey Bekker/UCR.
A major increase in oxygen happened nearly 2.43 billion years ago, which marked the beginning of the Great Oxidation Episode a crucial moment in Earth’s history.
An international team of scientists, including a researcher from UC Riverside, investigated rocks from South Africa formed at the time of this event.