Volcanic Activity Key to Oxygen-rich Atmosphere

Dear Shyam,

why do we need volcanic activity for an explanation?

It is established that early earth had only iron in its reduced state (divalent) as you can see readily if looking at geologic old stones that contain iron are all greenish.

With first oxygen production by blue-green algae that invented photosynthesis where oxygen is a waste product first traces of oxygen became existent in earths atmosphere.

This oxygen was readily consumed by contact with humid or wet iron containing surface minerals (as today going on: green minerals are converted to brown soil on contact with air.)

From this time (more than 10⁹ years ago) some of the richest iron ore deposits originated (Brazil).

After this time of first oxidation the process slowed after converting most divalent iron to trivalent iron. This was the start of an oxygen rich atmosphere when all existing life had to invent new mechanisms to survive and life differentiated and first oxygen users appeared.

Large scale oxidation continued at a smaller rate with the weathering of mountains and the residues being oxidised. From these times the famous red sandstones are known: relics of very old deserts.

In the overview article from NSF nothing is tated clearly except there is a temperature difference between marine and terrestrial volcanos.

So if oxygen exists there will be more oxygen consumed by terrestrial volcanos as their lava is more oxidised during cooling.

So I do not see any significant role of volcanos in oxygen production.

Do you think different?

Volcanos have very important contributions to earths atmosphere conservation as the existing carbondioxide is recycled CO2. The sediments in the seas where most carbonates are deposited are concumed by the earthcrust at the subduction zones.

Then at heating to some hundred degrees the gas is stored as solid solution (not distinguished from liquid solution as pressure is too high). If the material is coming up again in a volcanic eruption this will free again the CO2.

If this cycle would stop then all CO2 would be consumed in some million years all O2 production by plants would stop, any higher life terminated and only ancient organisms surviving that do not depend on oxygen.

Enjoy life and earths beauty and diversity and let us conserve it.

RHABE

Dear Rhabe

India as such has 25% of the world Iron Ore. I visited some places where Iron Ore is present and found many rocks that are Iron rich are often covered by green grass. We do not have any current history of volcanic activity on the main land ans we do have an active volcano in the Andaman. Perhaps all this Iron might have moved to top layer in very old time when this zone was full of activities and sea became the great Himalayan mountain chain.

It is known that even sea water in early time was not rich of oxygen and both plants and animals were least dependent on breathing and use of oxygen. The transformation came when the oxygen level changed significantly and Oxygen turned life line for the living systems. Plants perhaps evolved much earlier as they had two systems of food, from root and leaves. Initially they may be more dependent on roots.

This information was from NFS report and not my research. It is worth talking about it to know things better. Perhaps the temperature cycle played a good role in changing the atmosphere as you have talked about here and also has been a source of life system evolution near the volcanic activities.

Dear Shyam,

in very early time of earth - roughly the first 4.10⁹ years there was no free oxigen at all but abundant life from bacteria, algae and archaea.

There was abundant methane and hydrogen used for anaerobic energy production by early life. This possibility is still existent in many cells (also ours) that can switch back to anaerobic conditions with completely different genetic chemistry to survive in a situation where oxygen is not available (high intensity training).

Then after invention of fotosynthesis free oxygen was produced roughly beginning 1.2billion years ago. This caused the oxidation of the 2valent iron that is easily soluble to the 3valent that precipitates and formed iron ore deposits.

After that time the atmosphere enriched with oxygen slowly giving the possibility to start multicellular organisms roughly 600million years ago.

There was a good article on the evolution of atmosphere in Scientific American around 10 or 15 years ago.

Your situation of India colliding with Tibet is much younger, estimated not older than 60million years.

Evolution of modern plants (leaved trees ) is also not too old -first examples around 200millon years true modern around 50 to 10 million years.

RHABE

(Did you solve your problem with spheres and hiped ribbons? else I may know some solutions.)

Dear Rhabe

Great information in details. I did see a documentary from National Geographic TV channel. I also read the book by Broca's Brain by Carl Sagan. He projected that single cellular life system evolved into larger system for its own safety. I am not sure if we are more safer than single cellular our bricks.

Bot yet found direct use machine for hot pressed ribbons. Perhaps some medical tablet manufacturer may have. I used to buy those hot pressed Ribbons from Harshaw Chemical Company USA. Now I need to make large number of those tiny 3mmx3mmx1mm cut ribbons of LiF polycrystal.

Read more to the genius of Carl Sagan here. Greatest of his research was the formation of Amino Acids by Radiation alone. His prediction were highly scientific and were very accurate. He used computations to predict but was also a dreamer and believer. He was highly influenced by research of Dr. Broca, who felt that criminals should have special brain and did not find any. He did discover something now known as Broca's portion in the brain which was special in some people. He used to get thousands of cut out heads of people shipped to his place with almost fresh brain matter to be cut open and explored. I read this book by Carl Sagan before his death and also looked into one documentary he produced for National Geographic or Discovery channel. He was always pointing towards the future for the life systems and its likely new evolution that were supposed to be more dramatic like moving from single cellular to multi cellular for a purpose and believed that single cells are more intelligent than the complex system that is evolved as primary survival required is for the single cell system and not for the larger system which is only a likely method of achieving it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

Dear Sirs,

I would like ask you how human activities affect an oxygen condition in an atmosphere.

If we burn increasingly so much oil, gas and could it shall change significantly a ratio of carbon dioxide and oxygen in an air. Can you address where I can find some more data about the matter? Thanks.

Kind regards,

William Chilton, UK

Email: wchilton@quick.cz