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Abstract
When hydrated, phosphides such as the mineral schreibersite, (Fe,Ni)3P, allow for the synthesis of important phosphorus-bearing organic compounds. Such phosphides are common accessory minerals in meteorites; consequently, meteorites are proposed to be a main source of prebiotic reactive phosphorus on early Earth. Here, we propose an alternative source for widespread phosphorus reduction, arguing that lightning strikes on early Earth potentially formed 10–1000 kg of phosphide and 100–10,000 kg of phosphite and hypophosphite annually. Therefore, lightning could have been a significant source of prebiotic, reactive phosphorus which would have been concentrated on landmasses in tropical regions. Lightning strikes could likewise provide a continual source of prebiotic reactive phosphorus independent of meteorite flux on other Earth-like planets, potentially facilitating the emergence of terrestrial life indefinitely.
Highlights
When hydrated, phosphides such as the mineral schreibersite, (Fe,Ni)3P, allow for the synthesis of important phosphorus-bearing organic compounds
While terrestrial abiotic phosphorus is essentially ubiquitous on Earth in the oxidised form of phosphate (PO43−), it is bound in minerals such as apatite, which are effectively insoluble in water[4]
The fulgurite used in this study is a dmscale type II fulgurite[16] (Fig. 1 and Supplementary Fig. 1), having formed in clay-rich soils in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA in 2016
Summary
Phosphides such as the mineral schreibersite, (Fe,Ni)3P, allow for the synthesis of important phosphorus-bearing organic compounds. Lightning strikes could likewise provide a continual source of prebiotic reactive phosphorus independent of meteorite flux on other Earth-like planets, potentially facilitating the emergence of terrestrial life indefinitely. Schreibersite forms hydrous, activated phosphate capable of forming key basic organic molecules, such as glycerol phosphate, nucleosides and phosphocholine[8,9], and intermediate phosphorus species, such as hypophosphite (H2PO2−) and phosphite (HPO32−)[5,10] While such intermediate phosphorous species would hinder organic reactions, they may still play an important role in the origin of life by efficiently reacting with solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and dissolved HS− to form orthophosphate (PO43−)[11]. We propose that under the conditions on early Earth, phosphorus reduction via lightning strikes is a more significant process than previously appreciated, providing a widespread, quiescent source of reduced phosphorus This presents a mechanism independent of meteorite flux for continually generating prebiotic reactive phosphorus on Earth-like planets, potentially facilitating the emergence of terrestrial life indefinitely
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