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Earth's Oceans: Acidic for 500 Million Years Before Life

2/16/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A groundbreaking study by Meng Guo and Jun Korenaga uncovers that Earth's oceans emerged 4 billion years ago, yet remained too acidic for life for an astonishing 500 million years. Tectonic activity eventually balanced the acidity, paving the way for life to flourish around 3.5 billion years ago, shedding light on our planet's early history and climate evolution.

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Story summary

A groundbreaking study by Meng Guo and Jun Korenaga uncovers that Earth's oceans emerged 4 billion years ago, yet remained too acidic for life for an astonishing 500 million years. Tectonic activity eventually balanced the acidity, paving the way for life to flourish around 3.5 billion years ago, shedding light on our planet's early history and climate evolution.