A new study published in the journal Science detailed the fluctuations in the Earth's temperature over the past 485 million years, and highlighted the significant relationship between the Earth's temperature and the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
A new study published in the journal Science detailed the fluctuations in Earth's temperature over the past 485 million years, highlighting the significant relationship between Earth's temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
The study revealed that the Earth's temperature has changed dramatically over the past 485 million years, mainly as a result of changes in CO2 levels in the atmosphere. This new understanding, achieved by combining geological data with climate models, shows that current climate changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate compared to past natural events, and highlights the urgent need to deal with global warming.
The study of the Phanerozoic super-era
The study, published on September 20, presents a global average temperature curve showing that Earth's temperature has varied much more than previously thought throughout most of the Phanerozoic Era. The Phanerozoic era is a geological period in which life developed and spread on land, withstanding a number of mass extinctions about half a billion years ago to the present day. The curve confirms that the Earth's surface temperature is closely related to the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Using a new method to predict ancient climate
The researchers created the temperature curve using a method called "data assimilation," which allowed them to combine data from the geological record with climate models to create a more complete picture of the ancient climate. "This method was originally developed for weather forecasting," said lead researcher Emily Judd, a former researcher at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. "Instead of predicting future weather, we used it to predict ancient climates."
The new findings on historical climate change
The new curve reveals that the temperature has changed more than previously thought over the past 485 million years. The global temperature ranges from 11-36 degrees Celsius, and periods of extreme heat were often associated with high levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
"This study clearly shows that carbon dioxide is the main factor controlling global temperatures throughout geological time," said researcher Jessica Tierney. “When CO2 is low, the temperature is cold; When CO2 is high, the temperature is warm.”
Implications for current climatic trends
The study also reveals that the current global temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius is colder than most periods in the Phanerozoic era. However, greenhouse gas emissions from human-caused climate change are currently warming the Earth at a faster rate than even the fastest warming events of the Phanerozoic Era. The rapid rate of warming endangers species and ecosystems around the world and causes a rapid rise in sea level.
Collaboration to create a comprehensive temperature curve
The team collected more than 150,000 estimates of ancient temperatures determined by several chemical indicators preserved in fossils, alongside more than 850 climate simulations created by their colleagues at the University of Bristol. These findings helped create the most accurate curve of Earth's temperatures over the past 485 million years.
