Want an oxygen-rich atmosphere? Stuff oxygen’s friends in the mantle.

Plate tectonics recycles oxygen into Earth's mantle through subduction, with oxygen-rich fluids from serpentinite rocks being transported deep into the planet as tectonic plates sink. The rapid formation of continental crust through plate tectonics reduces the flux of mantle-derived reducing gases to the surface, allowing atmospheric oxygen to accumulate.

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-05-26