Natural radioactivity and formation of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere: Decay of radioactive 40K and radiolysis of ocean waterстатья
Статья опубликована в высокорейтинговом журнале
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Дата последнего поиска статьи во внешних источниках: 25 ноября 2020 г.
Аннотация:The important role of radioactivity in the conversion of primary hydro- and atmosphere is substantiated consideringthe decay of 40 K isotope in seawater. By now, the total energy resulting from the decay of 40 K in theocean amounts to 6.3 × 1026 J. The calculations show that the concentration of oxygen formed over the last3.8 Ga is approximately 8 × 1017 kg, i.e., it is of the same order of magnitude as the content of oxygen in themodern atmosphere. The ocean was an intermediate reservoir in which oxygen was formed and which waspurified from toxic components. The radiation provides the threshold concentrations of oxygen (Urey, Pasteur,and Berkner-Marshall points) important for the development of oxygen-breathing life. The radical and ionicproducts of water radiolysis induced chemical transformations of the compounds dissolved in the ocean. Thecalculations show that their total concentration over a period of 3.8 Ga was approximately 0.3 mol L−1.Seawater radiolysis resulted in water purification, saturation with oxygen, and formation of simple organicmolecules.