Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:Earth’s oxygenated atmosphere and magnetic field make life possible, but scientists have discovered that there’s a hidden link between the two that’s stronger than we originally imagined. Scientists aren’t yet certain which mechanism is impacting the other—or if there is a third mechanism impacting them both. To map this comparison over the course of hundreds of millions of years, the researchers couldn’t rely on direct data—there is no such record for atmospheric oxygen levels, for example. Related Story Change in Earth’s Magnetic Field Exposed in BricksSo, what’s going on here? The most likely one is that Earth’s magnetic field directly impacts oxygen levels, as it protects Earth (and oxygen-producing plants) from solar radiation.