A team of geologists has found breathable, animal friendly atmosphere buried deep in ancient grains of rock salt. If it is confirmed then questions are bound to rise regarding the rise of oxygen on earth. According the models and geographical evidence atmospheric oxygen rose considerably towards the end of the Neoproterozoic era around 600 years ago which coincided with the appearance of marine animals.
Nigel Blamey who co-authored the study says: “I think our results will take people by surprise, we came out of left field, and I think some people are going to embrace it, and other people are going to be very skeptical. But the data is what the data is.”
Brand and his co-authors have produced the oldest direct measurements of an oxygen-rich atmosphere after analysing air bubbles trapped inside 815-million-year-old grains of halite or rock salt.
However, the scientists are still proceeding with the study with additional halite grains from earlier and later chapters of earth’s history in order to get a more clear and detailed chronology of the rise of oxygen.
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