During the Great Oxidation Event, the rapid rise of atmospheric oxygen (O2\text{O}_2O2) produced by early photosynthetic organisms drastically altered the Earth's climate system. Which of the following describes the primary geochemical mechanism by which this rise in O2\text{O}_2O2 triggered the Huronian glaciation (the 'Snowball Earth' epoch)?
O2\text{O}_2O2 reacted with atmospheric methane (CH4\text{CH}_4CH4), a highly potent greenhouse gas, converting it to carbon dioxide (CO2\text{CO}_2CO2) and water, which dramatically weakened the greenhouse effect.
O2\text{O}_2O2 accelerated the global rate of silicate weathering, which drew down vast amounts of nitrogen (N2\text{N}_2N2) from the atmosphere and reduced atmospheric pressure and global temperatures.
The rise in O2\text{O}_2O2 accelerated the evolution and expansion of early terrestrial land plants, which directly sequestered water vapour from the atmosphere, leading to severe cooling.
O2\text{O}_2O2 precipitated dissolved oceanic iron to form banded iron formations, a highly exothermic reaction that disrupted atmospheric convection and caused runaway cloud formation.