Scientists in Australia have figured out what most likely caused a period of extreme cold on Earth over 700 million years ago. By using models of how the continents move over time, they discovered low levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were to blame.
This finding, published in the journal Geology, gives us a better idea of how Earth’s natural thermostat works to prevent temperatures from getting too high. It also shows climate is sensitive to how much carbon dioxide is in the air.
Lead researcher Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz from the University of Adelaide explained it this way: Imagine the Earth was nearly frozen solid. We cracked the case – volcanic emissions of CO2 gas were unusually low due to weathering of old volcanic rocks in Canada absorbing CO2 from the sky.
The scientists were inspired to solve this mystery because rocks from that deep freeze can still clearly be seen in Australia’s Flinders Ranges mountains.
On a recent field trip there with colleague Professor Alan Collins, they used computer simulations to figure out why it was so cold for so long – a whopping 57 million years.
This extremely long ice age, nicknamed the Snowball Earth, occurred between 717 to 660 million years ago when dinosaurs and plants hadn’t evolved yet. As Dr. Dutkiewicz said, We wanted to know what triggered it and why it lasted so unusually long.
The team used plate tectonics models showing how continents drift over eons. They linked this to simulations of volcanic CO2 emissions at sea as the planet’s crust slowly spreads open. This revealed volcanic CO2 hit a record low exactly when the freezing began. CO2 levels remained modest throughout.
As there were no complex animals or plants at the time, CO2 amounts in the atmosphere mostly depended on volcanoes and rocks absorbing the gas, said Dr. Dutkiewicz. Professor Dietmar Müller from the University of Sydney added, Geology dominated – less volcanic CO2 plus rocks in Canada soaking it up pushed CO2 down, triggering deep freezing.
Their research raises thought-provoking questions about Earth’s deep future. While some predict recurring super-continents will make the planet too hot, lower volcanic CO2 as continents jam together may counteract this – perhaps future Snowball Earths are possible after all. Most importantly, warned Dr. Dutkiewicz, human-induced warming is accelerating climate change far beyond anything seen in Earth’s past.
Sources
University of Sydney | Adriana Dutkiewicz, Andrew S. Merdith, Alan S. Collins, Ben Mather, Lauren Ilano, Sabin Zahirovic, R. Dietmar Müller. Duration of Sturtian “Snowball Earth” glaciation linked to exceptionally low mid-ocean ridge outgassing. Geology, 2024; DOI: 10.1130/G51669.1
- Share on:
Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
A heroon with intact tombs filled with luxurious jewels and lions sculpted in Pentelic marble, found in the ancient Greek city of Ripes in Achaea
At the beginning of October, the systematic archaeological excavation season concluded on the Trapezá plateau, located eight kilometers southwest of Aigio, Greece. This site is identified with the ancient city…
Statue Possibly Representing Cleopatra VII and Numerous Coins Featuring Her Effigy Found at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, West of Alexandria
The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Dr. Kathleen Martínez in collaboration with the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), has made new discoveries at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, located…
Roman Soldier Flaccus’ Tomb Discovered in the Netherlands, Dating to the Late 1st Century BCE
In late November 2024, during archaeological investigations conducted in Heerlen (Netherlands), an exceptional discovery was made: the tomb of a Roman soldier named Flaccus. This find, dating to the late…
The Mystery of the Mardaites: The Christian Highlanders Who Maintained Their Autonomy Between Byzantium and the Caliphate
In the province of Hatay, in southern Turkey, there is a mountain range locally known as Nur Dağları. Arabs call it Jabal al-Lukkam, and in Spanish, its Greek name, Amanus,…
The Jaxartes River, the Battle Where Alexander Defeated the Scythians Using Catapults, Wounded and with Nearly His Entire Army Sick with Dysentery
As its name indicates, the Spanish Cape of Finisterre (finis terrae) was considered in Antiquity as the westernmost limit of the known world. But where was the eastern border located…
Nature of the Enigmatic “Armas de la tierra” of the Coronado Expedition in the 16th Century Revealed
Recent research has unveiled the nature of the weaponry used by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition (which crossed the present-day U.S. states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas),…
A Megalography Depicting a Rare Mythological Scene of Achilles and Bronze Statuettes Found in a Roman “Domus” in Reims
The urban organization of Durocortorum, the Gallo-Roman city now known as Reims in France, faithfully adhered to the principles of Roman urbanism. The city was divided into blocks bounded by…
Neolithic Rondel Found in Poland Reveals These Ceremonial Centers May Have Been Managed by Organizations Similar to Secret Societies 7,000 Years Ago
An archaeological discovery in the locality of Nowe Objezierze, in the northwest of Poland, has led to a significant breakthrough in understanding the Neolithic societies of Central Europe. An interdisciplinary…
New Geoarchaeological Evidence Challenges the Identification of Kalkriese Hill as the place of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Kalkriese Hill, located in northwestern Germany, has been identified for decades as a potential site of the historic Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE, a decisive confrontation between…
The Newly Formed Earth Was a Dry and Hot Place: A Theory Explains How Water Arrived Here and on Other Planets of the Solar System
A group of scientists from the Paris Observatory has proposed a new theory about how water arrived on Earth, a key question for understanding the emergence of life on our…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
