asked 33.4k views
6 votes
How was Earth’s atmosphere changed during the Great Oxygenation Event?

2 Answers

3 votes

Answer: .Early organisms created oxygen from other gases in the atmosphere

Step-by-step explanation:

It is believed that the atmosphere emerged about 4,500 million years ago, by a process that can be explained in five stages.

In the first stage, the atmosphere was shaped by volcanic emanations, such as water vapor, carbon and sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen. At this point, oxygen was barely present.

In the second stage, as the Earth cooled, the water vapor condensed and formed the oceans. Carbon dioxide reacted with the rocks of the earth's crust to create carbonates - (CO32-); a portion of them, when dissolved in the seas, generated salt water.

In the third stage, approximately 3.500 million years ago, bacteria appear, capable of carrying out photosynthesis, that is, of producing oxygen. This facilitated the development of marine life.

Once the atmosphere obtained sufficient oxygen, the fourth stage appeared, the evolution of large organisms as animals capable of breathing air.

This is how the current atmosphere containing the gases created in each of the previous phases was reached. These are kept in motion by winds and rains, allowing humans, and other living organisms, to breathe. For this reason, without them there would be no life on the planet.

answered
User Michael McGowan
by
8.1k points
6 votes

Consequences of oxygenation. Eventually, oxygen started to accumulate in the atmosphere, with two major consequences. Oxygen likely oxidized atmospheric methane (a strong greenhouse gas) to carbon dioxide (a weaker one) and water.

answered
User Ubiguchi
by
8.2k points

No related questions found

Welcome to Qamnty — a place to ask, share, and grow together. Join our community and get real answers from real people.