"Do we currently utilize interferometry as a way for detecting planets in other solar systems?"
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Question
Was the early Earth atmosphere reducting or oxidizing? In some books, it is said that reducting, in others the opposite. What is the latest scientists' opinion?
The oxidizing or reducing state of the early atmosphere is not well understood. Fifty years ago it was thought to be reducing, with lots of hydrogen, methane and ammonia. Later studies tended toward mildly oxidizing, with carbon dioxide as the major gas. Recently both carbon dioxide and methane have been suggested as necessary to provide sufficient greenhouse effect to warm the Earth at a time when the Sun was about 30% dimmer than it is today. Thus the latest scientists' opinion is that the early atmosphere was probably neither strongly reducing nor strongly oxidizing,with carbon dioxide and nitrogen the main gases. This opinion may well change, however, as we learn more about the ancient environment of our planet. David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
May 30, 2006
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