Petrographic carbon in ancient sediments constrains Proterozoic Era atmospheric oxygen levels.

ABSTRACT: Oxygen concentration defines the chemical structure of Earth's ecosystems while it also fuels the metabolism of aerobic organisms. As different aerobes have different oxygen requirements, the evolution of oxygen levels through time has likely impacted both environmental chemistry and the history of life. Understanding the relationship between atmospheric oxygen levels, the chemical environment, and life, however, is hampered by uncertainties in the history of oxygen levels. We report over 5,700 Raman analyses of organic matter from nine geological formations spanning in time from 742 to 1,729 Ma. We find that organic matter was effectively oxidized during weathering and little was recycled into marine sediments. Indeed, during this time interval, organic matter was as efficiently oxidized

SUBMITTER: Canfield DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8201950 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature