SCI/TECH: Earth 'shook off' ancient warming

Scientists in the UK have discovered how the earth recovered from a sudden episode of global warming during the time of the dinasours. This could help us understand how to survive the next time this happens.

"Understanding what happened could help experts plan for the future impact of man-made global warming, experts say.

Rock erosion may have leached chemicals into the sea, where they combined with carbon dioxide, causing levels of the greenhouse gas to fall worldwide."

news.bbc.co.uk...

[Edited on 3-2-2004 by Ocelot]

Hmph....the Earth is going to "shake" us off. Like a bad case of fleas.

Hahaha... that's so true. Humans are like pests to Earth. We pollute it, abuse and destroy it terribly.

This sounds like a very viable theory however, much research is still needed before we begin hitching our horses to it. Some things they say in the article just didn't ring true to me like the reason for the extinction. Also, no mention is made of the cooling trends either of which we are still experiencing seeing as how the earth is still in an Ice Age, technically. I'm taking this for what I think it appears to be and thats scientific geologic and geophysic studies into the earth's past and not some lame ammunition for the "We're destroying the world" argument. I remind you, the cause of the warming trend is still not known but it is a cinch that dinos weren't driving around in SUVs talking on cell phones.

I believe earth's climate is a separate entity from its population and is controlled by a number of complex contributors to which we have little to no affect upon.

I want to know what rocks got weathered, the limestone needed to release calcium is calcium carbonate anyway, as is calcite, so where does the mysterious calcium come from?

Originally posted by astrocreep
Also, no mention is made of the cooling trends either of which we are still experiencing seeing as how the earth is still in an Ice Age, technically.

Yes, it amazes me that in all the discussion in the media about global warming very rarely is it mentioned that we're still only a little way along the upward climb from the last major ice age. Of course, therefore, temperatures are going to rise for at least another 200,000 years.

It was my understanding that we were overdue for the start of another Ice Age by about a thousand years or so. But in the grand scheme of things, that's kind of like being a minute or two late for a doctor's appointment.

The last Ice Age, according to books I've read, would have been at its peak 15000-20000 years ago.

Yes 'the big ice age' fluctuations are every 500-750,000 years but within that there are lots of 'mini ice ages' as we in Western Europe will shortly discover when the Gulf Stream collapses.