Decreasing extents of Archean serpentinization contributed to the rise of an oxidized atmosphere

At present, molecular hydrogen (H₂) produced through Fe(II) oxidation during serpentinization of ultramafic rocks represents a small fraction of the global sink for O₂ due to limited exposures of ultramafic rocks. In contrast, ultramafic rocks such as komatiites were much more common in the Early Earth and H₂ production via serpentinization was a likely factor in maintaining an O₂-free atmosphere throughout most of the Archean. Using thermodynamic simulations, this work quantifies the global O₂ consumption attributed to serpentinization during the past 3.5 billion years. Results show that H₂ generation is strongly dependent on rock compositions where serpentinization of more magnesian lithologies generated substantially higher amounts of H₂. Consumption of >2 Tmole O₂ yr⁻¹ via low-temperature serpentinization of Archean continents and seafloor is possible. This O₂ sink diminished greatly towards the end of the Archean as ultramafic rocks became less common and helped set the stage for the Great Oxidation Event.