Tag: Paleoclimatology
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Cooler warm periods: How the Southern Ocean controlled climate and atmospheric CO2
Introduction: A long-standing climate puzzle For millions of years, the Earth’s climate oscillated between frigid glacial periods and warmer interglacials. Among these, the so-called lukewarm interglacials, spanning roughly from 800,000 to 430,000 years ago, are particularly intriguing. During these warmer phases, atmospheric CO2 hovered around 240–260 ppm, with later interglacials reaching 280–300 ppm. Today, CO2…
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Cooler warm periods: How the Southern Ocean shaped climate and CO2
New insights into a long-standing climate question Earth’s climate has long swung between cold glacial states and warmer interglacial periods. Among these, the so-called lukewarm interglacials—warm phases that occurred roughly between 800,000 and 430,000 years ago—stand out for their relatively cool temperatures and modest atmospheric CO2 levels (about 240–260 ppm). Even the later interglacials, which…
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Red Sea Dried and Flooded: A 6.2 Million-Year Geological Event
A Rare Geologic Rebirth: The Red Sea’s Drying and Reflood The Red Sea, long celebrated for its vivid reefs and ongoing tectonic activity, has a much more dramatic history than most people imagine. New findings from scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) reveal that the Red Sea dried out completely about…