Delays for the Earth's Oxygen Atmosphere

Summary - (Aug 9, 2005) Our planet gained its nice, oxygen-rich
atmosphere about 2.4 billion years ago thanks to early bacteria. One
question that has puzzled researchers, however, is why it took at least
300 million years for oxygen to build up to large levels, even though
the bacteria had been working madly to produce it. Researchers from the
University of Washington have developed a model that shows how volcanic
gasses could have sucked up this available oxygen. Not only that, but a
large layer of iron from meteorite strikes would have used it for
rusting. Not until those sinks were filled could oxygen build up.


See http://tinyurl.com/a7ero for more

Maybe I'm stupid but I have a real big problem with what is discussed
herein. ...

Nitrogen. It makes up most of our atmosphere. Why ?



RL

Raving Loonie wrote:
Summary - (Aug 9, 2005) Our planet gained its nice, oxygen-rich
atmosphere about 2.4 billion years ago thanks to early bacteria. One
question that has puzzled researchers, however, is why it took at least
300 million years for oxygen to build up to large levels, even though
the bacteria had been working madly to produce it. Researchers from the
University of Washington have developed a model that shows how volcanic
gasses could have sucked up this available oxygen. Not only that, but a
large layer of iron from meteorite strikes would have used it for
rusting. Not until those sinks were filled could oxygen build up.


See http://tinyurl.com/a7ero for more

Maybe I'm stupid but I have a real big problem with what is discussed
herein. ...


Why?

Today we have become a major sink for oxygen with all our rampant
burning of fissile fuels. Today all anyone worries about is how to get
the fuel. But I predict that someday the headlines will voice concerns
about the decreasing percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere.

They used to say that oxygen was 21% of the air. Now they're kind of
hedging and saying it's a little over 20%. Makes you wonder!


Nitrogen. It makes up most of our atmosphere. Why ?



RL


Nitrogen comes from volcanic out gassings. It has also been found to
be common in the atmospheres of some other planets and moons.

Double-A

Double-A wrote:
Raving Loonie wrote:
Summary - (Aug 9, 2005) Our planet gained its nice, oxygen-rich
atmosphere about 2.4 billion years ago thanks to early bacteria. One
question that has puzzled researchers, however, is why it took at least
300 million years for oxygen to build up to large levels, even though
the bacteria had been working madly to produce it. Researchers from the
University of Washington have developed a model that shows how volcanic
gasses could have sucked up this available oxygen. Not only that, but a
large layer of iron from meteorite strikes would have used it for
rusting. Not until those sinks were filled could oxygen build up.


See http://tinyurl.com/a7ero for more

Maybe I'm stupid but I have a real big problem with what is discussed
herein. ...


Why?

Today we have become a major sink for oxygen with all our rampant
burning of fissile fuels. Today all anyone worries about is how to get
the fuel. But I predict that someday the headlines will voice concerns
about the decreasing percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere.

They used to say that oxygen was 21% of the air. Now they're kind of
hedging and saying it's a little over 20%. Makes you wonder!


Nitrogen. It makes up most of our atmosphere. Why ?



RL


Nitrogen comes from volcanic out gassings. It has also been found to
be common in the atmospheres of some other planets and moons.

Double-A

So why don't more planets have a substantive nitrogen atmosphere? ...
Or do they?

The way the article described it, the outgassing was only by way of
hydrogen. With the hydrogen gone and the oxygen assimilated through
oxidation, no more atmosphere ...

So what about the Nitrogen which makes up the bulk of the atmosphere,
regardless ? The way that you describe the Nitrogen emissions through
volcanic activity, easy come ... but nowhere to go. What happened to
the Nitrogen on Mars ?

Or is the Earth a bit more exceptional BECAUSE of the Nitrogen ?

?

RL

Raving Loonie wrote:
Double-A wrote:
Raving Loonie wrote:
Summary - (Aug 9, 2005) Our planet gained its nice, oxygen-rich
atmosphere about 2.4 billion years ago thanks to early bacteria. One
question that has puzzled researchers, however, is why it took at least
300 million years for oxygen to build up to large levels, even though
the bacteria had been working madly to produce it. Researchers from the
University of Washington have developed a model that shows how volcanic
gasses could have sucked up this available oxygen. Not only that, but a
large layer of iron from meteorite strikes would have used it for
rusting. Not until those sinks were filled could oxygen build up.


See http://tinyurl.com/a7ero for more

Maybe I'm stupid but I have a real big problem with what is discussed
herein. ...


Why?

Today we have become a major sink for oxygen with all our rampant
burning of fissile fuels. Today all anyone worries about is how to get
the fuel. But I predict that someday the headlines will voice concerns
about the decreasing percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere.

They used to say that oxygen was 21% of the air. Now they're kind of
hedging and saying it's a little over 20%. Makes you wonder!


Nitrogen. It makes up most of our atmosphere. Why ?



RL


Nitrogen comes from volcanic out gassings. It has also been found to
be common in the atmospheres of some other planets and moons.

Double-A

So why don't more planets have a substantive nitrogen atmosphere? ...
Or do they?


Saturn's moon Titan has an atmosphere made up mostly of nitrogen. 1.6
bars.


The way the article described it, the outgassing was only by way of
hydrogen. With the hydrogen gone and the oxygen assimilated through
oxidation, no more atmosphere ...

So what about the Nitrogen which makes up the bulk of the atmosphere,
regardless ? The way that you describe the Nitrogen emissions through
volcanic activity, easy come ... but nowhere to go. What happened to
the Nitrogen on Mars ?


That's a good question. Mars does have volcanoes, though perhaps they
haven't been active for a long time. Mars has only 2.7% N2. Venus has
3.5% N2.


Or is the Earth a bit more exceptional BECAUSE of the Nitrogen ?

?

RL

Double-A wrote:
Raving Loonie wrote:
Double-A wrote:
Raving Loonie wrote:

O.K. How about water-ice on Mercury ? We could visit the poles !

' Man lands on Mercury ' ... now wouldn't THAT be something ?

'=2E. Mercury's axis of rotation is oriented nearly perpendicular to the
planet's orbit, so that in the polar regions sunlight strikes the
surface at a constant grazing angle. The interiors of large craters at
the poles are permanently shadowed and remain perpetually cold, below
-212=BAC (-350=B0 F). Radar images of the polar regions, first obtained
in 1991, show that the large craters' interiors are highly reflective
at radar wavelengths. The most common material that could explain this
behavior is -- ice! On the planet closest to the Sun! The tiny flow of
ice from infalling comets and meteorites could be cold-trapped in these
Mercurial polar deposits over billions of years, or water vapor might
outgas from the planet's interior and be frozen out at the poles.... '

See http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/why_mercury/

Keeping cool while getting there may be problematic ?

RL

Raving Loonie wrote:
Double-A wrote:
Raving Loonie wrote:
Double-A wrote:
Raving Loonie wrote:

O.K. How about water-ice on Mercury ? We could visit the poles !

' Man lands on Mercury ' ... now wouldn't THAT be something ?

'.. Mercury's axis of rotation is oriented nearly perpendicular to the
planet's orbit, so that in the polar regions sunlight strikes the
surface at a constant grazing angle. The interiors of large craters at
the poles are permanently shadowed and remain perpetually cold, below
-212=BAC (-350=B0 F). Radar images of the polar regions, first obtained
in 1991, show that the large craters' interiors are highly reflective
at radar wavelengths. The most common material that could explain this
behavior is -- ice! On the planet closest to the Sun! The tiny flow of
ice from infalling comets and meteorites could be cold-trapped in these
Mercurial polar deposits over billions of years, or water vapor might
outgas from the planet's interior and be frozen out at the poles.... '

See http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/why_mercury/

Keeping cool while getting there may be problematic ?

RL


Landing anywhere on Mercury's night side would give a challenge to keep
warm, not stay cool. Mercury is interesting in that its iron core is
about 3/4 of the size of the planet, proportionally much larger than
Earth's. It has a strong magnetic field too.

Also its wispy atmosphere is 42% oxygen. No life needed for that. But
it is also 29% sodium. If you have ever pitched a piece of pure sodium
into water, you can imagine what a breath of sodium vapor would do to
your moist lungs!

Double-A

Hi ray & Double A Best to keep in mind oxygen combines so readily with
so much stuff,and I think we are lucky the air has 21% oxygen.
Carbon atoms and Iron atoms must take a big toll of free oxygen atoms.
Beert