Assignment 6

Oxygen in the atmosphere

RQ57CP
Zlata Tumanova
Introduction

Earth’s atmosphere stretches from the surface of the planet up to as far as 10,000 kilometers (6,214
miles) above. After that, the atmosphere blends into space. Not all scientists agree where the actual
upper boundary of the atmosphere is, but they can agree that the bulk of the atmosphere is located
close to Earth’s surface—up to a distance of around eight to 15 kilometers (five to nine miles).
While oxygen is necessary for most life on Earth, the majority of Earth’s atmosphere is not oxygen.
Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon,
and 0.1 percent other gases. Trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and neon are
some of the other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent.
Figure 1. Oxygen in the atmosphere

Where does oxygen in atmosphere come from ?

1. Photosynthesis
The oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere primarily comes from photosynthesis, a process carried out by
plants, algae, and some bacteria. During photosynthesis, these organisms use sunlight, carbon
dioxide, and water to produce oxygen as a byproduct.
The answer is tiny organisms known as cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. These microbes
conduct photosynthesis: using sunshine, water and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates and,
yes, oxygen. In fact, all the plants on Earth incorporate symbiotic cyanobacteria (known as
chloroplasts) to do their photosynthesis for them down to this day.

For some untold eons prior to the evolution of these cyanobacteria, during the Archean eon, more
primitive microbes lived the real old-fashioned way: anaerobically. These ancient organisms—and
their "extremophile" descendants today—thrived in the absence of oxygen, relying on sulfate for
their energy needs.

But roughly 2.45 billion years ago, the isotopic ratio of sulfur transformed, indicating that for the first
time oxygen was becoming a significant component of Earth's atmosphere, according to a 2000
paper in Science. At roughly the same time (and for eons thereafter), oxidized iron began to appear
in ancient soils and bands of iron were deposited on the seafloor, a product of reactions with oxygen
in the seawater.
 Figure 2. Oxygen release in photosynthesis

2. Ocean
Scientists estimate that roughly half of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean. The
majority of this production is from oceanic plankton — drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria that
can photosynthesize. One particular species, Prochlorococcus, is the smallest photosynthetic
organism on Earth. But this little bacteria produces up to 20% of the oxygen in our entire biosphere.
That’s a higher percentage than all of the tropical rainforests on land combined.

Figure 3. Oxygen in the ocean

Calculating the exact percentage of oxygen produced in the ocean is difficult because the amounts
are constantly changing. Scientists can use satellite imagery to track photosynthesizing plankton and
estimate the amount of photosynthesis occurring in the ocean, but satellite imagery cannot tell the
whole story. The amount of plankton changes seasonally and in response to changes in the water’s
nutrient load, temperature, and other factors. Studies have shown that the amount of oxygen in
specific locations varies with time of day and with the tides.
It’s important to remember that although the ocean produces at least 50% of the oxygen on Earth,
roughly the same amount is consumed by marine life. Like animals on land, marine animals use
oxygen to breathe, and both plants and animals use oxygen for cellular respiration. Oxygen is also
consumed when dead plants and animals decay in the ocean. There is also oxygen in the atmosphere
which has accumulated over hundreds of millions of years. As land animals, most of the oxygen
humans breathe comes from this source.

3. Other
Additionally, a small amount of oxygen is also released through other natural processes such as the
breakdown of ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere.
The breakdown of ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere does not directly provide oxygen for us
to breathe. Instead, it plays a crucial role in protecting life on Earth by absorbing most of the Sun's
harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. When UV radiation interacts with ozone molecules, it causes them
to break apart, resulting in the formation of oxygen molecules (O2) and individual oxygen atoms (O).
These oxygen atoms can then combine with other oxygen molecules to form ozone again. This
continuous cycle of ozone formation and breakdown helps maintain a balance of ozone in the
atmosphere, which is essential for shielding the Earth from excessive UV radiation.

Figure 4. Ozone – oxygen cycle

Biosphere
Biosphere plays a significant role in oxygen production in the atmosphere. Through the process of
photosynthesis, plants, algae, and some bacteria in the biosphere convert carbon dioxide and water
into glucose and oxygen. This oxygen is then released into the atmosphere as a byproduct of
photosynthesis. The biosphere, which includes forests, grasslands, oceans, and other ecosystems, is
responsible for the majority of oxygen production on Earth. It is worth noting that the balance of
oxygen in the atmosphere is maintained through a complex interplay of various natural processes,
including photosynthesis, respiration, and the carbon cycle.

The processes that produce oxygen:

1. Photosynthesis is a biological process by which all green plants synthesize their food in the
presence of sunlight. During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight, water, carbon dioxide to
create energy, and oxygen gas is liberated as a by-product of this process.
2. Sunlight also produced oxygen through reaction with water vapor in the atmosphere.

The processes that consume oxygen:

1. Breathing is the physical process, through which all living organisms, including plants, animals,
and humans inhale oxygen from the environment into the cells and exhale carbon dioxide
back into the atmosphere.
2. Decomposition is an important part of the oxygen cycle and occurs after the death of an
organism. The dead organism decays and the organic matter with carbon, oxygen, water, and
other components are returned into the soil and air. This process is carried out by
decomposers like invertebrates (fungi, bacteria, and some insects. The entire process
consumes oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
3. Combustion occurs when the organic and inorganic matter is burned in the presence of
oxygen.
4. Rusting is the process of oxidation of metals and alloys.
 Figure 5. Role of biosphere in oxygen production.

Literature review:

1. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/atmosphere/
2. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/origin-of-oxygen-in-atmosphere/
3. https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/facts/SH.html#:~:text=Ozone%20is%20created%20when
%20the,hydrogen%2C%20chlorine%2C%20or%20bromine.
4. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ocean-oxygen.html#:~:text=Scientists
%20estimate%20that%20roughly%20half,smallest%20photosynthetic%20organism
%20on%20Earth.
5. https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/did-you-know/does-the-ocean-produce-oxygen/