A supercritical carbon dioxide layer in the Hadean atmosphere for the origin of life?

• 作者: Yi-Liang Li Wei-Dong Sun Yu-Fen Zhao
• 来源期刊: 科学通报（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2021,（12）
• 所属期刊栏目: PERSPECTIVE
• 页码范围: 1157-1159
• 页数: 3页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Zhang et al.[1] reported the first direct detection of the natural supercritical CO2 (scCO2;critical point:31.1 ℃ and 72.9 atm) in a deep-sea hydrothermal system,In their study,they measured in situ the Raman bands of scCO2 bubbling from an approximately 95 ℃ hydrothermal vent.The Raman spectra indicated that the scCO2 bubbles also trapped N2 and CH4 gases and unidentified organic carbons.This discovery suggests a scenario that a layer of scCO2 might have existed in the Hadean atmosphere between the young ocean and the gaseous CO2-dominated upper layers.Such a layer of scCO2 in the atmosphere should have been highly active in trapping energetic small molecules and catalytic transition metals and polymerizing organic matters,thereby aiding the creation of a favorable planetary environment for prebiotic evolution toward life.