title: Evolution of Earth-like Extrasolar Planetary Atmospheres: Assessing the Atmospheres and Biospheres of Early Earth Analog Planets with a Coupled Atmosphere Biogeochemical Model.
abstract: Understanding the evolution of Earth and potentially habitable Earth-like worlds is essential to fathom our origin in the Universe. The search for Earth-like planets in the habitable zone and investigation of their atmospheres with climate and photochemical models is a central focus in exoplanetary science. Taking the evolution of Earth as a reference for Earth-like planets, a central scientific goal is to understand what the interactions were between atmosphere, geology, and biology on early Earth. The Great Oxidation Event in Earth's history was certainly caused by their interplay, but the origin and controlling processes of this occurrence are not well understood, the study of which will require interdisciplinary, coupled models. In this work, we present results from our newly developed Coupled Atmosphere Biogeochemistry model in which atmospheric O2concentrations are fixed to values inferred by geological evidence. Applying a unique tool (Pathway Analysis Program), ours is the first quantitative analysis of catalytic cycles that governed O2in early Earth's atmosphere near the Great Oxidation Event. Complicated oxidation pathways play a key role in destroying O2, whereas in the upper atmosphere, most O2is formed abiotically via CO2photolysis. The O2bistability found by Goldblatt et al. ( 2006 ) is not observed in our calculations likely due to our detailed CH4oxidation scheme. We calculate increased CH4with increasing O2during the Great Oxidation Event. For a given atmospheric surface flux, different atmospheric states are possible; however, the net primary productivity of the biosphere that produces O2is unique. Mixing, CH4fluxes, ocean solubility, and mantle/crust properties strongly affect net primary productivity and surface O2fluxes. Regarding exoplanets, different "states" of O2could exist for similar biomass output. Strong geological activity could lead to false negatives for life (since our analysis suggests that reducing gases remove O2that masks its biosphere over a wide range of conditions). Key Words: Early Earth-Proterozoic-Archean-Oxygen-Atmosphere-Biogeochemistry-Photochemistry-Biosignatures-Earth-like planets. Astrobiology 16, 27-54.
authors.affiliation: 1 Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik (ZAA), Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) , Berlin, Germany .|2 Institut für Planetenforschung (PF) , Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany .
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gebauer
authors.affiliation: 2 Institut für Planetenforschung (PF) , Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany .
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Grenfell
authors.affiliation: 3 Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía-CSIC , Granada, Spain .
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.affiliation: 4 Alfred-Wegener Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung , Potsdam, Germany .
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.affiliation: 2 Institut für Planetenforschung (PF) , Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany .
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Godolt
authors.affiliation: 5 Université de Bordeaux , LAB, UMR 5804, Floirac, France .|6 CNRS, LAB , UMR 5804, Floirac, France .
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: von Paris
authors.affiliation: 1 Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik (ZAA), Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) , Berlin, Germany .|2 Institut für Planetenforschung (PF) , Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany .
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rauer
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D001272:Atmosphere; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D018534:Earth, Planet; D019419:Evolution, Planetary; D018559:Exobiology; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D010126:Ozone / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010126:Ozone; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D008697:Methane