Temporal evolution of the GOE

MSc Julius Havsteen, Dr. Ilka Kleinhanns (Schoenberg), Dr. Benjamin Eickmann & Prof. Dr. Ronny Schoenberg

Assesment of Oxygen Level and Fluctuation using Iron Formations

MSc Markus Gogouvitis, Dr. Ilka Kleinhanns (Schoenberg) & Prof. Dr. Ronny Schoenberg

Rise of atmospheric oxygen

Prof. Ronny Schönberg, Dr. Frantz Ossa Ossa, MSc Lucile Roué, Dr. Benjamin Eickmann, Dr. Mark van Zuilen (IPGP, Paris, France) , Dr. Bertus Smith, Prof. Nic Beukes & Prof. Axel Hofmann (all University Johannesburg, South Africa), Prof. Allan Wilson (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa)

The Earth’s ocean-atmosphere system experienced profound changes during the Archean-Proterozoic transition, when oxygen levels rose dramatically during a first Great Oxidation Event (GOE: 2.45 to 2.32 Ga). To better resolve Earth’s oxygenation before the GOE we apply different isotope systems of redox-sensitive elements. Molybdenum concentrations and the Molybdenum isotopic composition of marine sediments like black shales, iron formations and carbonates indeed show distinctive changes during the Archean-Proterozoic transition. However, first changes seem to predate the GOE calling for an earlier “Whiff of oxygen”. Another promising proxy for redox changes in the atmospheric and marine system is Chromium. Deciphering its behaviour and sensitivity in the environment during Earth’s history is one of our major goals. Especially the combination of these different proxies might allow us to set better constraints on the early rise of free oxygen.

  • BSc projects Manuela Benger, Tabea Post & Tobias Renz
  • MSc projects Manuela Benger, Nadine Weimar, Vanessa Sutterer & Niklas Gantert
  • PhD projects Dr. Sümeyya Eroglu & Dr. Florian Kurzweil