How could you remove all the oxygen from Earth's Atmosphere? Hypothetically

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The discussion revolves around a science thriller author seeking ideas for a novel that involves the rapid removal of oxygen from Earth's atmosphere or making it toxic. The author prefers natural phenomena or human-triggered events over fictional doomsday devices. Suggestions include burning fossil fuels, which would take too long, and various imaginative scenarios like alien attacks or cosmic events. A prominent idea is the use of iron oxide, where iron particles could react with atmospheric oxygen, leading to a rapid depletion of breathable air and potentially causing iron poisoning in living organisms. Other concepts include a gamma-ray burst or a failed global warming experiment that inadvertently creates a toxic atmosphere. The narrative will focus on a lone survivor navigating this altered world, with the potential for a group of prepared individuals who may not be friendly. The author is also considering the implications of atmospheric changes on plant life and the eventual replenishment of oxygen. The conversation highlights the balance between scientific plausibility and creative storytelling, with an emphasis on maintaining suspense and mystery in the plot.
  • #61
It might be easier to remove the oxygen over a longer period of time. The main characters could also be an astronauts instead of a diver. Mysteriously, mission control, stops responding, and astronauts lose all contact with earth. They are meanwhile quite a ways away from earth, and don't get back for some time, could be a week, a month, or a year. Somehow only one survives. Maybe a few could die in space trying to repair something, only one survives in the end, and ends up in the ocean climbing out of the capsule with a space suite on looking at a red sky.
 
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  • #62
*bump*

Participants of this thread may like to know that the novel was published a couple of weeks ago, and has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly. Snippet below:

Acknowledgments said:
For help developing the crazy, but plausible, science at the core of the SecondWorld story, I must thank “Chemisttree” from physicsforums.com, where I received ideas and advice from a number of scientists in a variety of fields.
 
  • #63
onomatomanic said:
*bump*

Participants of this thread may like to know that the novel was published a couple of weeks ago, and has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly. Snippet below:
Good luck OP with your book!

And YAY chemistree!
 
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  • #65
Oh WOW!

Thanks Jeremy.
 
  • #66
we know by ultra violet radiation the oxygen will converted to ozone. so if huge quantity of ultraviolet radiation are applied it may definitely convert every oxygen molecule to ozone at least temporally
 
  • #67
And fry everything on the planet at the same time most likely! One hell of a situation to get out of!
 
  • #68
RobinsonJ said:
Hey all,

I'm a science thriller author (www.jeremyrobinsononline.com) and I've got a new story idea with a really big problem. Basically, I need to remove all of the oxygen from Earth's atmosphere, preferably fast, but I can adapt to a longer time frame if need be. Now, this is for a novel so it only needs to be rooted by facts...so imaginations are welcome.

ALSO possible for the story would be poisoning the atmosphere...keeping the O2, but making it toxic. But removing the O2 is somehow cooler, I think.

I have some ideas, but nothing great. Any thoughts? Oh, and this would have to be either natural (cosmic counts) or natural but triggered by man. No doomsday devices like the O2 Destroyer in Godzilla. :)

Thanks for your help!

-- Jeremy Robinson

Huge electrical discharge converts it all to ozone? ?
 

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