Did nuclear transformations inside Earth form nitrogen, oxygen, and water?

Abstract

Nitrogen and sea water concentrations have increased continuously from the Archean era. A rapid rise in oxygen concentration has been recorded from around 0.8 billion years ago. These phenomena cannot be completely explained by the collision of planetesimals with abundant nitrogen and the late veneer heavy bombardment of comets and meteorites with abundant water, and photosynthesis of heterotrophic plants, respectively. The formation of nitrogen, oxygen, and water are postulated to be the result of an endothermic nuclear transformation of carbon and oxygen nuclei confined in the carbonate aragonite lattice of Earth’s mantle or crust at high temperatures and pressures. This process was likely influenced by excited electrons generated by stick sliding during the evolution of supercontinents, mantle convection triggered by collisions of major asteroids, and nuclear fusion in Earth’s core. Thus, we show that calcium carbonates may have played a crucial role in the generation of atmosphere and sea water in Earth’s history.