Eve might be full with life ... we're just looking at it the wrong way

[Azimech]

Interesting!

 

[Scotius]

Interesting. But even if purple archaea were dominant lifeforms at some point, it still wouldn't make Earth purple. First of all, 99.99999% of them would be limited to hydrosphere - seas and oceans could've had a bit of of purple tint, but lands would still be lifeless mass of browns and grays. Besides, even today all the abundant chrolophyll - using microorganisms do not turn Earth's waters green. Well, except when algae blooms are happening. Back then, i wouldn't be surprised if our planet looked yellow-brownish from space - her atmosphere was essentially a thick layer of smog after all

[Azimech]

True ... but suppose a different cycle could've occurred. Instead of chlorophyll winning the competition over retinal and oxygen would've stayed locked. Eventually multi-cellular organisms could've evolved and colonized the land.

So imagine Eve could be a world where a slimy layer covers everything, or even bryophyte plants.

 

[Green Baron]

It must still be seen how relevant this really is. Shallow salty shelves are a rare and ephemeral thing.

But early earth was surely not purple, the landmasses (different than today's continents, rather small terranes collected in cratons, imagine a lot of drifting and shifting madagaskars) were rather red like Mars today because much oxygen was bound. Some Permian provinces today give an impression of how things might have looked at the time plants conquered land: red and weathered. But this is very difficult to reconstruct (meaning: don't cite me :-)).

Photosynthesis in greater style started about 3 billion years ago, as documented by for example banded iron formations. Atmospheric oxygen was present by then, but not in concentrations as high as these days. But this is all subject to discussions and even controversies.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Green Baron
Slight correction ...

[benzman]

Azimech, is the engine in your avatar a Pratt and Whitney?

 

[PB666]

17 minutes ago, benzman said:

Azimech, is the engine in your avatar a Pratt and Whitney?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_R-1830_Twin_Wasp

Isn't anyone going to ask what engine my Avatar is modeled after?

Edited January 2, 2018 by PB666

[kerbiloid]

10 hours ago, Scotius said:

First of all, 99.99999% of them would be limited to hydrosphere - seas and oceans

And very probably mostly along the sea shores.

A thin red purple line.

Spoiler

8 hours ago, PB666 said:

Isn't anyone going to ask what engine my Avatar is modeled after?

Why? Four colored amoebas. Teal and Brown are trying to pull the Blue from the Pinky to prevent something bad.

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by kerbiloid

[Green Baron]

... oh, and check ocean salinity of the archaean ocean. If possible ;-)

[PB666]

8 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

  Hide contents

Why? Four colored amoebas. Teal and Brown are trying to pull the Blue from the Pinky to prevent something bad.

 

He's the engine of death. As would be the case if humans went to a planet with all purple archean.

[Scotius]

8 hours ago, Green Baron said:

... oh, and check ocean salinity of the archaean ocean. If possible ;-)

A lot lower than current state i guess. There wasn't much time for rain and waves to weather down enough rocks and dissolve salts. Still, swimming it that primordial mixture would be a very, very bad idea

[Green Baron]

18 minutes ago, Scotius said:

A lot lower than current state i guess. There wasn't much time for rain and waves to weather down enough rocks and dissolve salts. Still, swimming it that primordial mixture would be a very, very bad idea

Yep, probably/maybe/who knows more on the acidic side.

And for those who like it green there is another one: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170131080007.htm

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Green Baron