The Archaean Eon by L Cohen

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A Pale Orange Dot

Early Archaean Earth likely appeared Hazy and orange-tinted due to an excess of atmospheric methane

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Purple Earth Hypothesis

Early photosynthetics may have used retinal to absorb abundant green-spectrum light, reflecting purple.

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Great Oxygenation Event

Archaea & Bacterial photo- synthesizers release free oxygen & change the chemical landscape.

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Bacterial Stromatolites

Matted fossilized remains show how chlorophyll-containing cyanobacteria ramped up the oxygenation of Earth.

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Green Oceans

Mid-Archaean oceans were full of iron in the form of Fe2+, an ion with a green hue.

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After the Hadean Era

4.5 BYA the Earth formed, hot and inhospitable until 3.8 BYA when the Archaean Era began.

From orange to green, to purple, to deep rusty red, the Earth of the Archaean era underwent several dramatic changes in color and composition as the earliest forms of life pumped out oxygen and carved out an environment capable of supporting more complex life.

"Origin" of life on Earth, approx. 3.8-2.5 BYA

Archaean Era