Earth evolution

The evolution of the Earth is a long and interesting story — one that is much too complex to be discussed in one chapter. The discussion will follow the essential points in evolution of the main components of prebiotic Earth lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Much more detail can be found in E. Degens (1989), S. Butcher et al. (1992), M.H. Engel and S.A. Macko (1993) and T. Fenchel et al. (1998). 

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Timeiine of marine evaporite deposition during the Phanerozoic. Shown are the volumes of NaCI (halite, dark line) and CaS04 (gypsum and anhydrite, dashed line) deposited over time in km . The arrows mark the current volumes of NaCi and CaS04 contained in modern ocean water. These are approximately 1.8 x 10 and 9 x 10 km , respectively. Source After Holser, W. T. (1984). Patterns of Change in Earth Evolution, Springer, pp. 123-143. 

Among the five noble gases, Ne and Xe deserve special attention because their isotopic compositions are unique (as far as we know) to the Earth, suggesting that their evolution processes are fundamentally related to some specific processes of Earth evolution. In Section 7.4, we will discuss Ne in that a key issue is to understand the distinct difference between mantle neon and atmospheric neon isotopic compositions. In Section 7.5, we discuss a long-standing missing Xe problem. 

Ozima, 1999). Next we will discuss these isotopic ratios in the Earth and their implications for the early chronology of Earth evolution. 

Ozima, M., Igarashi, G. (2000) The Primordial noble gases in the Earth A key constraint on Earth evolution models. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 176, 219-32. 

Holser W.T. (1984) Gradual and abrupt shifts in ocean chemistry during Phanerozoic time. In Patterns of Change in Earth Evolution (eds. H.D. Holland and A.F. Trendall), pp. 123-144. Dahlem Workshop, Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 

Jochum K. P. and Hofmann A. W. (1997) Constraints on earth evolution from antimony in mantle-derived rocks. Chem. 

This review will first examine the controls on Earth s modern atmosphere, to give a uniformi-tarian basis then consider parallel worlds. Next, models of Earth evolution are built, on unifor-mitarian grounds by looking at the early abiotic Earth and by considering biogeochemical processes in the Archaean. To provide experimental constraint, the Belingwe area is examined in detail. The operation of the Archaean atmosphere is discussed then the links between air and ocean, and the links with the mantle and interior. Lastly, the overall controls are considered. 

J.L Lunine, Earth - Evolution of a Habitable World, Cambridge University Press, 1999, 319 p. 

Gronlie, A., 1981. The late and postglacial isostatic rebound, the eustatic rise of the sea level and the uncompensated depression in the area of the Blue Road Geotraverse. Earth Evolution Science, 1, 50-57. 

The partly oxidizing conditions during core segregation in the earth evolution are responsible for the fact that we find tungsten deposits in the crust. 

The previous discussion of Earth evolution has already demonstrated the feasibility of interactions between carbon, carbon dioxide, and clays. Some modern theories of life origin have been constructed in the suggestions of generations of physiologically active molecules in clay-organic interactions. 

Since the Earth was originally anaerobic, anaerobic microorganisms evolved in the Earth evolution and life origin. Outline the evidence for and implications of an anaerobic origin of Ufe. 

Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan... 

Current results of this exercise, using the Xe component compositions listed in Table 1, are reviewed in Pepin (2000). Applied to Earth, a modeling procedure involving derivation of fractionation relationships between nonradiogenic terrestrial and meteoritic Xe compositions simultaneously identifies a composition named U-Xe as primordial Xe, and establishes the presence of an atmospheric Xe component due principally to fission of extinct as noted earlier in this chapter. Hydrodynamic escape of U-Xe leaves its fractionated residue on Earth. Evolution of atmospheric Xe from this early composition to its present isotopic state by subsequent degassing of fission and radiogenic... 

Method Theoretically, the best way to correct the data for common-Pb is to use the only nonradiogenic Pb isotope, Pb, because it involves the fewest assumptions. The main assumption is related to the knowledge of the common-Pb composition at the time of the closure of the system, which presupposes that an estimate of this time is available and to refer to a model of earth evolution [21]. 

Dearnley R. Orogenic fold-belts and a hypothesis of earth evolution. Phys. Chem. Earth, 7, 1966, l-114. 

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