A mineral that acts like a sponge beneath Earth's surface stores more oxygen than expected, keeping our planet from becoming dry and inhospitable like Mars.
The key to the abundant oxygen storage is the mineral majorite, which exists deep below Earth's surface in the mantle. Without the oxygen stockpile, Earth would probably be a barren planet hostile to life.
In nature, the deep stores of oxygen (in the form of majorite) ride convection currents up toward Earth's surface. Along the way, the pressure and temperature decrease, and at some point majorite breaks down.
"That's where the stored oxygen is released," said team member Christian Ballhaus of Bonn's Mineralogical Institute. "Near the surface it is made available for all the oxidation reactions that are essential for life on Earth."
Unlocked oxygen can bind with hydrogen that constantly seeps from Earth's interior to form water, making for a water-rich atmosphere.
Once the water is made, Earth's magnetic field helps to keep it in place. The magnetic field prevents the atmosphere from being 'blown away' by solar winds.
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