"I think the main contribution here is that the PETM is our best example of a natural carbon cycle experiment," said PETM expert James Zachos, who also works at U.C. Santa Cruz, but was not involved in Paytan's research. "This study is suggesting that the peaks in barite observed in the deep sea...are accurately reflecting changes in the accelerated, though temporary, sequestration of carbon by one process -- higher algal production," Zachos told Discovery News. That doesn't mean Earth is likely to repair the damage done by current global warming in any timely way, however, he cautions. "Unfortunately, this process is slow and thus lags the buildup of carbon in the atmosphere," said Zachos. In fact, said Paytan, the barite accumulation went on for about 170,000 years. That suggests it takes a lot longer to cool off a hot Earth than to heat up a cool planet.
|
advertisement
Download Earth News At Bottom!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
