Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation
It is generally recognized that the evolution of the early Earth was affected by an external energy source: radiation from the early Sun. The hypothesis about the important role of natural radioactivity, as a source of internal energy in the evolution of the early Earth, is considered and substantia...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/23/8584 |
| _version_ | 1827642858004283392 |
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| author | Boris Ershov |
| author_facet | Boris Ershov |
| author_sort | Boris Ershov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is generally recognized that the evolution of the early Earth was affected by an external energy source: radiation from the early Sun. The hypothesis about the important role of natural radioactivity, as a source of internal energy in the evolution of the early Earth, is considered and substantiated in this work. The decay of the long-lived isotopes <sup>232</sup>Th, <sup>238</sup>U, <sup>235</sup>U, and <sup>40</sup>K in the Global Ocean initiated the oxygenation of the hydro- and atmosphere, and the abiogenesis. The content of isotopes in the ocean and the kinetics of their decay, the values of the absorbed dose and dose rate, and the efficiency of sea water radiolysis, as a function of time, were calculated. The ocean served as both a “<b><i>reservoir</i></b>” that collected components of the early atmosphere and products of their transformations, and a “<b><i>converter</i></b>” in which further chemical reactions of these compounds took place. Radical mechanisms were proposed for the formation of simple amino acids, sugars, and nitrogen bases, i.e., the key structures of all living things, and also for the formation of oxygen. The calculation results confirm the possible important role of natural radioactivity in the evolution of terrestrial matter, and the emergence of life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:38:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-890bb678a87a473aa68d15036844c7f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:38:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-890bb678a87a473aa68d15036844c7f32023-11-24T11:44:39ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492022-12-012723858410.3390/molecules27238584Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and OxygenationBoris Ershov0Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 31-4, 119071 Moscow, RussiaIt is generally recognized that the evolution of the early Earth was affected by an external energy source: radiation from the early Sun. The hypothesis about the important role of natural radioactivity, as a source of internal energy in the evolution of the early Earth, is considered and substantiated in this work. The decay of the long-lived isotopes <sup>232</sup>Th, <sup>238</sup>U, <sup>235</sup>U, and <sup>40</sup>K in the Global Ocean initiated the oxygenation of the hydro- and atmosphere, and the abiogenesis. The content of isotopes in the ocean and the kinetics of their decay, the values of the absorbed dose and dose rate, and the efficiency of sea water radiolysis, as a function of time, were calculated. The ocean served as both a “<b><i>reservoir</i></b>” that collected components of the early atmosphere and products of their transformations, and a “<b><i>converter</i></b>” in which further chemical reactions of these compounds took place. Radical mechanisms were proposed for the formation of simple amino acids, sugars, and nitrogen bases, i.e., the key structures of all living things, and also for the formation of oxygen. The calculation results confirm the possible important role of natural radioactivity in the evolution of terrestrial matter, and the emergence of life.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/23/8584early earthoceanradioactivityradiolysischemical evolutionprebiotic molecules |
| spellingShingle | Boris Ershov Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation Molecules early earth ocean radioactivity radiolysis chemical evolution prebiotic molecules |
| title | Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation |
| title_full | Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation |
| title_fullStr | Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation |
| title_short | Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation |
| title_sort | natural radioactivity and chemical evolution on the early earth prebiotic chemistry and oxygenation |
| topic | early earth ocean radioactivity radiolysis chemical evolution prebiotic molecules |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/23/8584 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT borisershov naturalradioactivityandchemicalevolutionontheearlyearthprebioticchemistryandoxygenation |