Oxygen isotope ensemble reveals Earth's seawater, temperature, and carbon cycle history. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38330122/)

These scientists wanted to learn more about how the Earth has stayed habitable for a really long time. They used a special method called the oxygen isotope ensemble approach to study different types of rocks like shale, iron oxide, carbonate, silica, and phosphate.

By looking at these rocks, they were able to figure out the history of the Earth's seawater, temperature, and the amount of clay in the ocean and on land over billions of years. They found that the seawater changed and became a bit heavier over time, which means it had more oxygen.

This discovery was interesting because it showed that the Earth's climate was not as hot as they thought it was in the past. Instead, it was more like a moderate climate. They also found that there were changes in the amount of clay in the ocean and on land at the same time as the Earth's climate cooled down.

The scientists think that these changes in clay formation might have helped to keep the Earth's climate stable and not too extreme. They believe that this is important for understanding how the Earth has stayed habitable for so long.

Isson T., Rauzi S. Oxygen isotope ensemble reveals Earth's seawater, temperature, and carbon cycle history. Science. 2024 Feb 9;383(6683):666-670. doi: 10.1126/science.adg1366. Epub 2024 Feb 8.