Questions tagged [oxygen]
Questions regarding the 8th chemical element, a main component of the athmosphere and of the crust.
7
questions
16
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How is the equilibrium of 21% oxygen in Earth's atmosphere established?
The atmosphere is 21% oxygen. I assume that there must be an equilibrium between processes that produce oxygen (e.g. photosynthesis) and those that consume oxygen (e.g. aerobic respiration).
Moreover,...
- 563
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Causes of fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen in past 300 Mya
I have two questions based on the history of atmospheric oxygen levels depicted below.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sauerstoffgehalt-1000mj2.png.
The notes below the chart explain ...
- 351
-5
votes
2
answers
705
views
Why cannot people burn all the atmospheric oxygen? [closed]
We are told that photosynthesis, developed a couple of billion years ago has produced all the atmospheric oxygen. I wonder, why did the process stop? Why do modern plants prefer to recover the entropy ...
1
vote
1
answer
344
views
Why limestone formation was not a concern in atmosphere oxidation event? [closed]
I have just got to know why Fe was a problem. After clay (alumnum) and Silicon got oxidized, there has left a lot of unoxidized Fe in the crust, whose oxidization has finished during GOE. But, ferrum ...
9
votes
2
answers
38k
views
Is oxygen the most abundant element on Earth?
When I was in school, I was taught that we need oxygen to breathe, but it actually constitutes only a small fraction of the atmospheric composition, and that nitrogen constituted the largest fraction ...
- 191
4
votes
1
answer
155
views
Percentage of Oxgen left after burning all the available biomass
A documentry stated that during the Permian asteroid strike the atmosphere heated up to above 400C, potentially to 600C. As this would ignite most of the biomass, including us, I wondered if this fire ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
295
views
Why is Great Oxidation Event associated with Iron oxidation but not Aluminum or Silicon?
Just to build up on my previous success with oxygen origin in the atmosphere, I want to expand the question as was advised in the answers. The official heresy, despite denied in the comments and ...