Open AccessCO 2 -Forced Climate and Vegetation Instability During Late Paleozoic Deglaciation
Author(s) -
Isabel P. Montañez,
Neil J. Tabor,
Deb Niemeier,
William A. DiMichele,
Tracy D. Frank,
Christopher R. Fielding,
John L. Isbell,
Lauren P. Birgenheier,
Michael C. Rygel
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 12.556
H-Index - 1186
eISSN - 1095-9203
pISSN - 0036-8075
DOI - 10.1126/science.1134207
Subject(s) - deglaciation , paleozoic , geology , greenhouse gas , climate state , glacial period , climate change , ice age , earth science , paleontology , physical geography , oceanography , climatology , atmospheric sciences , global warming , geography , effects of global warming
The late Paleozoic deglaciation is the vegetated Earth's only recorded icehouse-to-greenhouse transition, yet the climate dynamics remain enigmatic. By using the stable isotopic compositions of soil-formed minerals, fossil-plant matter, and shallow-water brachiopods, we estimated atmospheric partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and tropical marine surface temperatures during this climate transition. Comparison to southern Gondwanan glacial records documents covariance between inferred shifts in pCO2, temperature, and ice volume consistent with greenhouse gas forcing of climate. Major restructuring of paleotropical flora in western Euramerica occurred in step with climate and pCO2 shifts, illustrating the biotic impact associated with past CO2-forced turnover to a permanent ice-free world.
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