Evolution of atmosphere and global glaciations on Earth

Abstract

Evolution of the atmosphere of the Earth, especially a rise of oxygen, could have related closely with global glaciations (snowball Earth events) during the Earth's history. Here we report the results of our project on geological survey of the Huronian Supergroup in Canada which may record the global glaciation and the oxygen rise in the Paleoproterozoic. We found that Mn concentrates in the sediments deposited just after the glaciation, suggesting that oxygen level was already high or may have increased just after the glaciation.