Constraining the climate and ocean pH of the early Earth with a geological carbon cycle model.

ABSTRACT: The early Earth's environment is controversial. Climatic estimates range from hot to glacial, and inferred marine pH spans strongly alkaline to acidic. Better understanding of early climate and ocean chemistry would improve our knowledge of the origin of life and its coevolution with the environment. Here, we use a geological carbon cycle model with ocean chemistry to calculate self-consistent histories of climate and ocean pH. Our carbon cycle model includes an empirically justified temperature and pH dependence of seafloor weathering, allowing the relative importance of continental and seafloor weathering to be evaluated. We find that the Archean climate was likely temperate (0-50 °C) due to the combined negative feedbacks of continental and seafloor weathering. Ocean pH evolves monotoni

SUBMITTER: Krissansen-Totton J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5910859 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature