User:Jeartis17/Mesoarchean
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[edit]The Mesoarchean (/ˌmiːzoʊɑːrˈkiːən/, also spelled Mesoarchaean) is a geologic era within the Archean Eon, spanning 3,200 to 2,800 million years ago that was vital to our understanding of modern-style plate subduction and other Earth processes. (Intro sentence; added some info to the end)
The era is defined chronometrically and is not referenced to a specific level in a rock section on Earth. The Pongola glaciation occurred around 2,900 million years ago. The first supercontinent Vaalbara broke up during this era about 2,800 million years ago. It is believed through the study of collections regarding the Mesoarchean era, that this time period is the first recorded establishment of the phenomena called "modern-style plate subduction" in the Pilbara and on Earth.
Modern-style Subduction
[edit]Within the Mesoarchean period there is vast evidence of modern-style subduction. The evidence of this process is based on the convergent margin process. It is important to note that the evidence of these process are from the West Pilbara Terrane and the boundary between West and East Pilbara.[1] The Pilbara region was integral to the understanding of the modern-style subduction process and the evidence from this region presents strong cases that a modern-style oceanic arc fringed the East Pilbara Terrane at 3.12 Ga and accreted to that terrane by 2.97 Ga (trying to figure out how to add this in). In turn the Mesoarchean era was the birthplace of modern-style plate subduction.[1]
Early Microbial Life
[edit]Life as we know it has been largely linked to processes and factors from the Mesoarchean period. For instance, oxygen has been linked to having active production within the Mesoarchean, however, it was not until the end of the Archean that the oxygen rose in the atmosphere.[2] The Mesoarchean period is incredibly distinct because it contained a combination of evolving rocks and sediments along with the production of oxygen. This is important due to the drastic change that this period had from the Phanerozoic period [2] and as the Mesoarchean period progressed these compositions adapted and evolved as well creating a period of drastic change. This gave way for the "evolution and diversification of microbial metabolisms". [2] Additionally, the geodynamic and geochemical compositions of the time allowed for the pre-biotic organic molecules to pave the way for a plethora of biological systems we know today.[2]
Chemical Impacts of Archean Period
[edit](I put the line below in this section and broke it off from the second paragraph in the original article and will add some more supplemental info to support it)
[edit]Analysis of oxygen isotopes in Mesoarchean cherts led to an oceanic temperature estimate around 55-85 °C, while other studies of weathering rates postulate average temperatures below 50 °C. Dinitrogen content in the atmosphere is thought to have been fundamentally similar to today's, and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide was probably lower than 0.7 bar.
See Also
[edit]- Geologic time scale – system that relates geological strata to time
- Glacial period – Interval of time within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances
- Ice age – Period of long-term reduction in temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere
- Last glacial period
References
[edit]- ^ a b Smithies, R. H.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.; Champion, D. C. (2007). "The Mesoarchean emergence of modern-style subduction". Gondwana Research. Island Arcs: Past and Present. 11 (1): 50–68. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2006.02.001. ISSN 1342-937X.
- ^ a b c d Lepot, Kevin (2020). "Signatures of early microbial life from the Archean (4 to 2.5 Ga) eon". Earth-Science Reviews. 209: 103296. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103296. ISSN 0012-8252.