Chinese scientists have uncovered a groundbreaking timeline of Earth’s atmospheric evolution, revealing three pivotal oxygen surges that transformed our planet into a life-sustaining world. Published in Nature, the study by researchers from Chengdu University of Technology and Nanjing University traces oxygen fluctuations over 2 billion years using sulfate isotopes in ancient rocks.
"Our findings show Earth’s oxygen levels reached modern stability around 410 million years ago after three critical phases," said Professor Li Chao, lead author from Chengdu University. The team analyzed triple oxygen isotopes – natural "fingerprints" in sulfate minerals – to reconstruct atmospheric changes from the Paleoproterozoic to Paleozoic eras.
Key discoveries include:
A first oxygen spike 2.4–2.1 billion years ago
A second surge 1 billion years ago
A final rise 440 million years ago
The research highlights how atmospheric oxygen gradually oxidized Earth’s oceans, creating conditions for complex life. "This explains not just life’s evolution but how planets become habitable," Li noted, emphasizing the study’s implications for astrobiology and climate science.
By bridging gaps in geological records, the findings offer investors insights into ancient hydrocarbon formation while giving academics new tools to study planetary habitability. For global readers, it paints a vivid picture of Earth’s transformation from barren rock to biological oasis.
