モリブデンイソトープは,プロテロゾーイク期中期の海洋で広範囲にわたる無酸素の証拠である
G L Arnold1, A D Anbar, J Barling
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. gail@earth.rochester.edu
まとめ
プロテロゾイク中期の海は,大気中の酸素化が始まって10億年以上,無酸素だった可能性が高い. 新しいモリブデンイソトープデータは,この期間に広範囲にわたる海洋無酸素が起こり,以前の酸素化モデルに異議を唱えていることを示唆している.
科学分野:
- 地質化学 地質化学
- パレオセアノグラフィー
- 地球科学 地球科学 地球科学
背景:
- プロテロゾイク中期の海洋 (1.8~10億年前) の酸素化状態は,重要な科学的議論となっている.
- 対照的なモデルが存在する:一つは,大気上昇後の初期の海洋酸化を示唆し,もう一つは,アノキシアの継続を示唆する.
研究 の 目的:
- プロテロゾイク期半ばの海洋における溶けた酸素の範囲を調査する.
- 海洋酸化の時間軸に関する矛盾する証拠を調和させるため.
主な方法:
- 現代と古代の海洋堆積物からのモリブデンイソトープデータの分析.
- プロテロゾイク中期のアノキシアレベルと現在の海洋状態の比較.
主要な成果:
- モリブデンイソトープのデータは,今日のものと比べると,プロテロゾイク期半ばの海洋でアノキシアが拡大したことを示している.
- 証拠によると,深海は大気中の酸化よりかなり遅れるまで,主に無酸素のままだった.
結論:
- 海洋の酸化は,大気中の酸化を10億年以上遅らせた可能性が高い.
- プロテロゾイク中期の深海は,以前のいくつかのモデルとは対照的に,広範囲にわたる無酸素によって特徴づけられました.
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