The Cosmic Combustion Cycle: Metal Oxide Catalytic Chemistry as a Universal Process from Accretionary Disk to Habitable World

We propose that a coupled three-reaction system-the Cosmic Combustion Cycle (CCC)-operated at planetary scale on early Earth's magma ocean, producing ~18 ocean masses of water (range 7-25), contributing 5-13% of iron core mass, and delivering gravitational power for the early geodynamo, all as stoichiometrically locked outputs of one reaction system. The three reactions are: (1) the master reduction CH₄ + 4FeO → 4Fe⁰ + 2H₂O + CO₂ (endothermic, entropy-driven, ΔG° = −194 kJ/mol at 1773 K); (2) silicon oxidation at depth (exothermic, regenerating FeO); and (3) iron cycling closing the catalytic loop. The net system is exothermic and entropy-positive under supercritical fluid conditions (500-2000 bar, 1500-2500 K) where CH₄/H₂O miscibility and radical chemistry bypass surface-diffusion barriers. The Moon serves as untreated control sample: its 13 wt% mantle FeO (chondritic, never processed by CCC) versus Earth's 8 wt% yields ~18 ocean masses from stoichiometry alone, using only measured inputs. The CO₂ budget provides an independent upper bound consistent with ~20 ocean masses. Kīlauea volcano anchors the modern case: a non-subduction source emitting water from primordial CCC-produced deep mantle reservoirs. The framework explains Venus (sulfur-throttled catalyst), Mars (fuel-starved, products lost), the Moon (pressure failure), and Titan (no ignition) as predictable failure modes of the same reaction, and generates 14 falsifiable predictions testable with existing volcanic gas sampling, zinc isotope mass spectrometry, and paleomagnetic measurements. Supplementary Material File (cccfinalv2.pdf) - Download - 1.31 MB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 94views 34downloads Citations Download citation Scott Jenkins. The Cosmic Combustion Cycle: Metal Oxide Catalytic Chemistry as a Universal Process from Accretionary Disk to Habitable World. Authorea. 16 March 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177368981.11988983/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177368981.11988983/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.