Here's why:
* Abundant Plant Life: The Carboniferous saw the rise of vast, swampy forests filled with primitive trees like ferns and horsetails. These plants, through photosynthesis, produced enormous amounts of oxygen.
* Limited Oxygen Consumption: While the Earth's land was teeming with life, the oceans were relatively less diverse, meaning there were fewer organisms consuming oxygen.
* Geological Processes: The formation of supercontinents like Pangea during this time also played a role by affecting atmospheric circulation and potentially contributing to higher oxygen levels.
It's important to note that while oxygen levels were exceptionally high during the Carboniferous, they were still much lower than today's levels.