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Early Earth

Abiotic reactions on early Earth

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment volume 4, page 602 (2023)Cite this article

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Life drives oxygen and methane cycling on Earth today, but before the origin of early organisms and oxygenic photosynthesis, geochemical cycling looked much different. Abiotic reactions driven by photolysis, thermolysis and water–rock interactions instead played a more dominant role, as described in two studies.

ROS also potentially play a key role in abiotic methane formation under early Earth conditions, as reported by Leonard Ernst of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Germany, and colleagues. Under a nitrogen atmosphere, various methylated organic molecules that can form abiotically were added to an Fe2+-amended system. Light and heat drove the production of hydrogen peroxide from water, which then reacts with the Fe2+. The products of this reaction drove methane production from methyl groups on the organic compounds.

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References

Original articles

  • He, H. et al. A mineral-based origin of Earth’s initial hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 120, e2221984120 (2023)

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  • Ernst, L. et al. Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond. Nat. Commun. 14, 4364 (2023)

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  1. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment https://www.nature.com/natrevearthenviron

    Laura Zinke

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  1. Laura Zinke
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Correspondence to Laura Zinke.

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Zinke, L. Abiotic reactions on early Earth. Nat Rev Earth Environ 4, 602 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-023-00480-3

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