The rise of oxygen in Earth's early ocean and atmosphere.
Lyons, Timothy W. 1; Reinhard, Christopher T. 1, 2, 3; Planavsky, Noah J. 1, 4
[Review] Nature. 506(7488):307-315, February 20, 2014.

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: The rapid increase of carbon dioxide concentration in Earth's modern atmosphere is a matter of major concern. But for the atmosphere of roughly two-and-half billion years ago, interest centres on a different gas: free oxygen (O2) spawned by early biological production. The initial increase of O2 in the atmosphere, its delayed build-up in the ocean, its increase to near-modern levels in the sea and air two billion years later, and its cause-and-effect relationship with life are among the most compelling stories in Earth's history.

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