Research has the potential to advance the search for planets that can support human life, which is becoming increasingly important considering the possibility of oxygen depletion on Earth in the future. In a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, a team of researchers led by environmental scientist Kazumi Ozaki conducted nearly 400,000 simulations to project the evolution of gases in the atmosphere. They integrated climate, biology, and geology models to gain deep insights into the potential existence of life on other planets.

Research shows that the earth has experienced a similar situation in the past. In the Archean period about 4 billion years ago, the Earth's atmosphere had limited free oxygen. Nevertheless, the occurrence of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) around 2.4 billion years ago significantly increased the oxygen levels, especially thanks to the emergence of the first photosynthetic organisms capable of producing oxygen.

This discovery raises interesting questions about the exploration of planets that could potentially be a habitat for humans. Researchers recommend an approach to track signs of life other than oxygen to increase the chances of detecting life. This analysis is integrated into a NASA project called NExSS (Nexus for Exoplanet System Science), which aims to investigate the potential for life on planets beyond Earth.