Fixation of Nitrogen in the Prebiotic Atmosphere

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 1979 Mar 9

PMID 17811121

Citations 29

Authors

Y L Yung

M B McElroy

Affiliations

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Abstract

Reactions between nitrogen and water in the air surrounding lightning discharges can provide an important source of nitric oxide even under conditions where oxygen is a minor atmospheric constituent. Estimates are given for the associated source of soluble nitrite and nitrate. It is shown that lightning and subsequent atmospheric chemistry can provide a source of nitrate for the primitive ocean as large as 106 tons of nitrogen per year, sufficient to fill the ocean to its present level of nitrate in less than 10(6) years.

Citing Articles

Water-Microdroplet-Driven Interface-Charged Chemistries.

Jia X, Wu J, Wang F JACS Au. 2024; 4(11):4141-4147.

PMID: 39610748 PMC: 11600161. DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00804.

Microdroplet-Mediated Multiphase Cycling in a Cloud of Water Drives Chemoselective Electrolysis.

Chen X, Xia Y, Yang Y, Xu Y, Jia X, Zare R J Am Chem Soc. 2024; 146(43):29742-29750.

PMID: 39429220 PMC: 11669384. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c11224.

Mimicking lightning-induced electrochemistry on the early Earth.

Jiang H, Underwood T, Bell J, Lei J, Gonzales J, Emge L Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024; 121(32):e2400819121.

PMID: 39074283 PMC: 11317556. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2400819121.

Geological evidence of extensive N-fixation by volcanic lightning during very large explosive eruptions.

Aroskay A, Martin E, Bekki S, Le Pennec J, Savarino J, Temel A Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024; 121(7):e2309131121.

PMID: 38315852 PMC: 10873604. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309131121.

Influence of sulfide on diazotrophic growth of the methanogen Methanococcus maripaludis and its implications for the origin of nitrogenase.

Payne D, Spietz R, Newell D, Dijkstra P, Boyd E Commun Biol. 2023; 6(1):799.

PMID: 37524775 PMC: 10390477. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05163-9.