Redox state of Earth’s magma ocean and its Venus-like early atmosphere
Abstract
Exchange between a magma ocean and vapor produced Earth’s earliest atmosphere. Its speciation depends on the oxygen fugacity (fO2) set by the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of the magma ocean at its surface. Here, we establish the relationship between fO2 and Fe3+/Fe2+ in quenched liquids of silicate Earth-like composition at 2173 K and 1 bar. Mantle-derived rocks have Fe3+/(Fe3++Fe2+) = 0.037 ± 0.005, at which the magma ocean defines an fO2 0.5 log units above the iron-wüstite buffer. At this fO2, the solubilities of H-C-N-O species in the magma ocean produce a CO-rich atmosphere. Cooling and condensation of H2O would have led to a prebiotic terrestrial atmosphere composed of CO2-N2, in proportions and at pressures akin to those observed on Venus. Present-day differences between Earth’s atmosphere and those of her planetary neighbors result from Earth’s heliocentric location and mass, which allowed geologically long-lived oceans, in-turn facilitating CO2 drawdown and, eventually, the development of life.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[4];
[4];
[2]
- ETH Zürich (Switzerland); Univ. of Paris (France)
- Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia)
- Univ. of Paris (France)
- Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1729695
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Science Advances
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 48; Journal ID: ISSN 2375-2548
- Publisher:
- AAAS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES
Citation Formats
Sossi, Paolo A., Burnham, Antony D., Badro, James, Lanzirotti, Antonio, Newville, Matt, and O’Neill, Hugh St.C. Redox state of Earth’s magma ocean and its Venus-like early atmosphere. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd1387.
Sossi, Paolo A., Burnham, Antony D., Badro, James, Lanzirotti, Antonio, Newville, Matt, & O’Neill, Hugh St.C. Redox state of Earth’s magma ocean and its Venus-like early atmosphere. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd1387
Sossi, Paolo A., Burnham, Antony D., Badro, James, Lanzirotti, Antonio, Newville, Matt, and O’Neill, Hugh St.C. Wed .
"Redox state of Earth’s magma ocean and its Venus-like early atmosphere". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd1387. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1729695.
@article{osti_1729695,
title = {Redox state of Earth’s magma ocean and its Venus-like early atmosphere},
author = {Sossi, Paolo A. and Burnham, Antony D. and Badro, James and Lanzirotti, Antonio and Newville, Matt and O’Neill, Hugh St.C.},
abstractNote = {Exchange between a magma ocean and vapor produced Earth’s earliest atmosphere. Its speciation depends on the oxygen fugacity (fO2) set by the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of the magma ocean at its surface. Here, we establish the relationship between fO2 and Fe3+/Fe2+ in quenched liquids of silicate Earth-like composition at 2173 K and 1 bar. Mantle-derived rocks have Fe3+/(Fe3++Fe2+) = 0.037 ± 0.005, at which the magma ocean defines an fO2 0.5 log units above the iron-wüstite buffer. At this fO2, the solubilities of H-C-N-O species in the magma ocean produce a CO-rich atmosphere. Cooling and condensation of H2O would have led to a prebiotic terrestrial atmosphere composed of CO2-N2, in proportions and at pressures akin to those observed on Venus. Present-day differences between Earth’s atmosphere and those of her planetary neighbors result from Earth’s heliocentric location and mass, which allowed geologically long-lived oceans, in-turn facilitating CO2 drawdown and, eventually, the development of life.},
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.abd1387},
journal = {Science Advances},
number = 48,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Wed Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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