After looking up the Griffinfly and seeing theories as to why insects never got that big again I found out that oxygen levels were high before the Griffinfly went extinct. I doubt lower oxygen levels is why they went extinct, but I was surprised that oxygen levels now are lower than in the past.
I always assumed there was a maximum oxygen level that is possible in the atmosphere because oxygen is produced by plants converting CO2 into oxygen and there is only so much CO2 available for conversion. That doesn't seem to be the case.
How did oxygen levels in the late Permian rise to 9% more oxygen than today at the estimated 30% and drop to 21% now with only 0.04% CO2 levels in the atmosphere?
Seriously folks, where did the extra oxygen come from and where did it go? Fossil fuels don't contain oxygen so where did it go? How can atmospheric oxygen levels drop from 30% to 21%? CO2 contains oxygen, but CO2 levels are far too low for it to have gone there.
@Metal-Brain What do you expect to gain by asking that question of artists, technicians and the like here?
I gather since you figure science never gets anything right, you feel you are above all of that and can make your own determinations based on what?
You don't like the idea the extra O2 came from bacteria and other life forms in the oceans and on land?
@metal-brainsaid Seriously folks, where did the extra oxygen come from and where did it go? Fossil fuels don't contain oxygen so where did it go? How can atmospheric oxygen levels drop from 30% to 21%? CO2 contains oxygen, but CO2 levels are far too low for it to have gone there.
I think it is really important to point out the granularity of time scale with geological data. We are not talking about decades or centuries or even millenia. The time scales at which accurate measurements can be taken are much larger. so the correlary to the present day year-over-year measurements are tough to interpret.
@wildgrass It does seem like the 30% estimate must be wrong. Unless someone can explain where the oxygen went I have to assume it was not that high at all. Sometimes the science is wrong. People make mistakes.
@sonhousesaid @Metal-Brain What do you expect to gain by asking that question of artists, technicians and the like here?
I gather since you figure science never gets anything right, you feel you are above all of that and can make your own determinations based on what?
You don't like the idea the extra O2 came from bacteria and other life forms in the oceans and on land?
"You don't like the idea the extra O2 came from bacteria and other life forms in the oceans and on land?"
@athousandyoungsaid There are photosynthetic bacteria take a biology class sometime
The photosynthesis reaction takes oxygen from water as well and turns the C and H atoms into sugars.
So what? Plants are photosynthetic too. If there is photosynthetic bacteria why aren't the oxygen levels higher? You didn't say they went extinct so what is your point? What changed? You still have not explained why there would be higher oxygen levels back then.
You are not explaining anything. You just seem to be grasping at straws.
@Metal-Brain Well then since you consider yourself much more intelligent than anyone else here, Tell us o Maven of all things, why did the O2 levels go up so much?
@sonhousesaid @Metal-Brain Well then since you consider yourself much more intelligent than anyone else here, Tell us o Maven of all things, why did the O2 levels go up so much?
I don't think they did.
How did they measure atmospheric content way back then?
CO2 is converted into O2 by plants and such. You cannot have more O2 than the difference in CO2. It is simple math. 9% more O2 than today cannot convert to 0.04% CO2. That doesn't add up. Where did the 8.96% go?
@metal-brainsaid I don't think they did.
How did they measure atmospheric content way back then?
CO2 is converted into O2 by plants and such. You cannot have more O2 than the difference in CO2. It is simple math. 9% more O2 than today cannot convert to 0.04% CO2. That doesn't add up. Where did the 8.96% go?
What are those percents of?
If CO2 is present in large amounts then a small percentage will calculate to a large amount of CO2. If the O2 in the atmosphere is much lower than the same transfer of oxygen would be a large increase in O2.
If CO2 is present in large amounts then a small percentage will calculate to a large amount of CO2. If the O2 in the atmosphere is much lower than the same transfer of oxygen would be a large increase in O2.
9% is the difference between 30% and 21%.
If there was 30% O2 during the Permian and 21% O2 now where did the 9% go?
@Metal-Brain One thing would have been rust, iron is present on the surface of Earth all over, more O2, some of that would convert iron dust to rust, Iron Oxide.
But you would not be caught dead actually reading a science book on ancient air though would you?
Permian high oxygen levels
14 Nov '22 07:22
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