Prehistoric global cooling caused by (a drop in) CO2 (levels), research finds

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2009a/090226HuberPete.html

February 26, 2009

Prehistoric global cooling caused by CO2, research finds

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Ice in Antarctica suddenly appeared — in geologic terms — about 35 million years ago. For the previous 100 million years the continent had been essentially ice-free.

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However, in a paper published this week in the journal Science, a team of researchers found evidence of widespread cooling. Additional computer modeling of the cooling suggests that the cooling was caused by a reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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The research team found before the event ocean surface temperatures near present-day Antarctica averaged 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).

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"That's what climate models are good for. They can give you plausible reasons for such an event," Huber says. "We found that the likely culprit was a major drop in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially CO2. From the temperature data and existing proxy records indicating a sharp drop in CO2 near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, we are establishing a link between the sea surface temperatures and the glaciation of Antarctica."

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http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/323/5918/1175