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Over the following hundreds of millions of years, more microorganisms began producing this toxic gas, first saturating Earth's oceans and eventually its atmosphere. Up here, this chemical changed the composition of pre-existing gases so drastically that it caused a global ice age.

Why is not 'Up there' used ? What does it mean?

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  • Do you know the difference between here (near the speaker) and there (far from the speaker)? Do you consider yourself near to the earth's atmosphere, or far from it, and if so, why?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Jun 5 at 10:00
  • Up here in [the Earth's] atmosphere, as opposed to down there in previously-mentioned Earth's oceans. We live up here in the air, not down there in the water, but the writer's use of here doesn't necessarily have to reflect where "we" humans live - it can just refer to the current "centre of attention" in the text, which is the last two words of the preceding sentence.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Jun 5 at 10:02
  • Me, I'm in the earth's atmosphere, unlike, say, a fish or some plankton. Up here is where I'd rather be. I cannot respirate when all of me is in the sea.
    – TimR
    Commented Jun 5 at 10:35
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    In addition to all the previous comments, there’s another consideration: context. Where did you find the passage you quote? For all we know, it was spoken by someone who was pointing at a diagram.
    – Paul Tanenbaum
    Commented Jun 5 at 12:19

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I see two reasons to use "up here":

  1. As other commenters have mentioned, we are in the Earth's atmosphere. The micro-organisms described began in the Earth's ocean, from which the atmosphere is "up". This is the "duh" explanation and while valid, I don't think it's really what your question was asking.

  2. The more creative explanation and the one I prefer: Assuming that "Up here" refers to processes way up in the atmosphere, far above where we are, the writer is then inviting you to imagine yourself high up in the atmosphere, with them, as they presumably lecture about or simply observe the changes being described. By using the word "here", the author asks you to envision yourself watching as the Earth undergoes an ice age due to these changes in the environment. "Up there" would be valid, however, "Up here" invites the reader to use their imagination.

Clearly, the author has no fear of heights :)

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