### The Faint Young Sun Paradox
During the Archean Eon, approximately to billion years ago, the Sun’s energy output was only about to of its present-day value. Under these conditions, the Earth should have been completely frozen, yet geological evidence indicates that liquid water and life were present. Scientists debate how Earth maintained a warm climate during this period.
Scientist 1
The early Earth was kept warm primarily by a super-greenhouse effect caused by extremely high levels of carbon dioxide () and water vapor (). Volcanic outgassing released at rates up to 100 times greater than today, building an atmosphere with levels high enough to prevent global glaciation despite the weaker Sun.
Scientist 2
High levels alone could not have prevented glaciation because geochemical evidence from ancient soils limits Archean concentrations to levels too low to explain the warmth. Instead, the primary driver of warming was methane () produced by early anaerobic microbes. This methane, in combination with moderate levels, formed a powerful greenhouse gas mixture that prevented freezing.
Scientist 3
Earth’s temperature was maintained not by an enhanced greenhouse effect, but by a lower planetary albedo (reflectivity). The Archean Earth had much smaller continental landmasses and lacked land plants, meaning less sunlight was reflected back into space. Additionally, fewer biological cloud condensation nuclei existed, resulting in fewer, larger cloud droplets that reflected less solar radiation.
Based on the passage, which of the following statements best describes the core claim of Scientist 2 regarding the prevention of global glaciation during the Archean Eon?
- Methane produced by early microbes, alongside moderate carbon dioxide, was the primary greenhouse gas mixture responsible for warming the planet.Cevap
- BA super-greenhouse effect driven solely by volcanic outgassing of high levels of carbon dioxide and water vapor kept the planet warm.
- CThe primary cause of warming was a lower planetary albedo due to smaller continental landmasses and fewer cloud condensation nuclei.
- DMethane concentrations were kept low by anaerobic microbes, allowing carbon dioxide to dominate the atmosphere and warm the Earth.