Geologists think continental stretching caused ancient global warming

The anomalous warming known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum could have become

a consequence of the movement of lithospheric plates, they saygeologists. The separation of Greenland and Europe and the formation of the North Atlantic caused massive volcanic eruptions. A large amount of greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere, which warmed the planet.

Scientists believe that extensive stretchingcontinental sections of the earth's crust in the northern hemisphere reduced the pressure in the bowels of the planet, which led to increased volcanic activity and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.   

Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum -large-scale geological event that occurred about 56 million years ago. A sharp change in climate and an increase in the planet's temperature by 5-8 ° C led to the extinction of many deep-sea organisms. The anomalous period lasted about 170 thousand years.

Electron microscope photo of lava fragments from Atlantic cuts. Source: Tom Gernon, University of Southampton

The researchers studied the rocks mined underseabed at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The analysis showed traces of sudden and large-scale volcanic activity in the northern part of the ocean, which lasted a little over 200 thousand years. This coincides in duration with the period of warming.

In addition, scientists have found that lava pilesa kilometer thick, which began to erupt just before the warming, have an unusual composition. The detected substances indicated the active melting of the uppermost solid part of the Earth's mantle, located under the continents and rich in carbonates.

Scientists have used simulations toconfirm your hypothesis. The results of the experiment showed that the increased melting of the upper mantle layer under the continental plates could lead to a rapid release of more than 100 Tt (1013 tons) of carbon into the atmosphere and ocean.

Using physically realistic estimates of the keycharacteristics of these volcanic systems, we show that the amount of carbon needed for warming could have been obtained from increased melting.

Thea Hinks, senior fellow at the University of Southampton and study co-author

Cover image: Tom Gernon, University of Southampton

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