According to current science, why didn't oxygen begin to accumulate in the atmosphere for more than a billion years after life appeared on the Earth?
A)Oxygen was removed from the atmosphere by dissolving in the ocean as quickly as it was released by life.
B)Early life did not release oxygen, and oxygen releasing organisms didn't evolve for a billion years after the earliest life.
C)Oxygen was removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions with surface rocks as quickly as it was released by life.
D)Early forms of animal life consumed the oxygen released by plants during the first billion years of life on Earth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Oxygen was removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions with surface rocks as quickly as it was released by life. This is known as the oxygen catastrophe, where the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere led to a reaction with surface rocks, such as iron, resulting in the formation of oxidized minerals. It took a long time for the oxygen to build up to levels that could overcome these chemical reactions and accumulate in the atmosphere.

According to Current Science, Why Didn't Oxygen Begin to Accumulate