And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8 (ESV)

And God said, “Let the vapors separate to form the sky above and the oceans below.” So God made the sky, dividing the vapor above from the water below. This all happened on the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8 (TLB)
This chronicles the creation of the earth’s atmosphere, the sky, between the thick opaque water vapors above the sky and the seas beneath the sky.

Probable Time Frame ~3000 mya to 2200 mya

  • Cyanobacteria/Green-blue algae (Aerobic) (~ -2700 to -2200)
  • Small plants appear
  • Oxygenation begins from photosynthesis actions of algae and plants, as evidenced by banded iron formation
  • Carbon also dissolves in oceans
  • Algae later become sediments at ocean floor
Note that the videos below are not too clear about the formation of the atmosphere from oxygenation. However, this New Scientist article shows how modeling based on ocean sediment samples strongly suggests that the haze of hydrocarbon fog was cleared from the early atmosphere and replaced with oxygen from photosynthesis during this time period.

Videos about Day 2 of Creation

YouTube TitleDescription
The History of the Earth's AtmosphereHistory of the chemical composition of the early earth and the atmosphere.
What Earth's Early Atmosphere Was LikeBig History presentation of Earth's atmosphere. Creation of an endless cycle of warming, cooling, and recovery.
The Early AtmosphereFirst earth atmosphere. Collision, moon, Hadean. Cynobacteria. Banded iron formations.
How Bad Was the Great Oxidation Event?Description of various destructive events in earth's history. In the latter part of the video the great oxidation event from photosynthesis is explained.
What Was The Earth Like 3 Billion Years Ago?Overview of what the earth may have been like from about 4.1 bya to 2.5 bya.