Factors that delayed atmospheric oxygenation following oxygenic photosynthesis

Identify and characterize the factors that delayed the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) after the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, quantifying the roles of tectonic evolution, subaerial volcanism, and changes in continental crust composition.

Background

Two end-member models for the timing of the GOE imply either a rapid oxidation after oxygenic photosynthesis or a substantial delay awaiting additional factors. The authors note that the specific delaying factors remain unclear.

Clarifying these drivers is essential to assess whether Earth’s oxygenation was a predictable trajectory and to constrain analogous transitions on other planets.

References

In the latter case, this tipping point awaited factors that are still unclear (121), but may have involved Earth’s tectonic evolution – for example, increased subaerial volcanism (192), or changes in the composition of continental crust (193) – which, in turn, is ultimately driven by the secular cooling of Earth’s mantle (194).

— A reassessment of the "hard-steps" model for the evolution of intelligent life (2408.10293 - Mills et al., 19 Aug 2024) in Section 'Planetary constraints and environmental trajectories'