Isson Terry, Rauzi Sofia
Te Aka Mātuatua, University of Waikato (Tauranga), Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, New Zealand.
Science. 2024 Feb 9;383(6683):666-670. doi: 10.1126/science.adg1366. Epub 2024 Feb 8.
Earth's persistent habitability since the Archean remains poorly understood. Using an oxygen isotope ensemble approach-comprising shale, iron oxide, carbonate, silica, and phosphate records-we reconcile a multibillion-year history of seawater δO, temperature, and marine and terrestrial clay abundance. Our results reveal a rise in seawater δO and a temperate Proterozoic climate distinct to interpretations of a hot early Earth, indicating a strongly buffered climate system. Precambrian sediments are enriched in marine authigenic clay, with prominent reductions occurring in concert with Paleozoic and Cenozoic cooling, the expansion of siliceous life, and the radiation of land plants. These findings support the notion that shifts in the locus and extent of clay formation contributed to seawater O enrichment, clement early Earth conditions, major climate transitions, and climate stability through the reverse weathering feedback.
自太古宙以来地球长期的宜居性仍知之甚少。我们采用一种氧同位素综合方法——包括页岩、氧化铁、碳酸盐、二氧化硅和磷酸盐记录——梳理了数十亿年的海水δO、温度以及海洋和陆地黏土丰度的历史。我们的结果揭示了海水δO的上升以及元古宙的温和气候，这与早期地球炎热的解释不同，表明存在一个强缓冲的气候系统。前寒武纪沉积物富含海洋自生黏土，随着古生代和新生代的变冷、硅质生物的扩张以及陆地植物的辐射，黏土含量显著减少。这些发现支持了这样一种观点，即黏土形成的位置和范围的变化通过反向风化反馈促进了海水中氧的富集、早期地球的温和条件、主要气候转变以及气候稳定性。
