A productivity collapse to end Earth’s Great Oxidation

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900325116
• Publication Date: 2019-08-13T00:24:41Z
• Authors: Malcolm S. W. Hod...; Peter W. Crockford; Yongbo Peng; Boswell A. Wing; Tristan J. Horner
• Keywords: Overshoot (microwave communication); Famine

Significance The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) ca. 2,400 to 2,050 Ma caused the first significant accumulation of free oxygen in atmosphere and potentially a dramatic growth oxidant reservoirs on Earth’s surface suggested “oxygen overshoot.” However, termination this event remains poorly understood. Here, we present geochemical data suggesting drastic decline gross primary productivity across end-GOE transition, delineating shift from “feast” “famine” conditions characteristic next 1 billion y.