"Long-Term Decline: Ocean Lithium Concentrations Plummeted by Sevenfold in 150 Million Years"

Analysis of salt samples has revealed that lithium concentrations in seawater have declined sevenfold over the last 150 million years, challenging previous assumptions of constant levels. The findings suggest a link between lithium concentration, climate, and the carbon cycle. Researchers reconstructed historic lithium concentrations by measuring ancient seawater samples trapped in halite crystals. The decline in lithium concentration is associated with reduced production of oceanic crust and hydrothermal activity, influenced by tectonic plate movements. Understanding long-term seawater chemistry provides insights into the global carbon cycle and carbon dioxide sources and sinks.