All articles tagged with #petm
Scientists have discovered that the Arctic Ocean was a major source of greenhouse gases during a past rapid warming event 56 million years ago, involving a switch from methane-consuming microbes that produce bicarbonate to those that produce CO2, potentially contributing to ocean acidification and warming. This historical methane cycle shift could recur today as Arctic warming and oxygen levels change, possibly accelerating climate change.
Researchers have found that during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum 56 million years ago, a switch in methane-consuming microbes in the Arctic Ocean led to increased methane release, which contributed to rapid global warming. This historical event provides insights into how similar microbial shifts today could accelerate climate change as Arctic conditions warm and oxygen levels decrease.
Recent research suggests that passing stars, or stellar flybys, did not influence Earth's climate over the past 56 million years, including during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, when significant global warming occurred. Advanced models incorporating comprehensive Solar System dynamics show no link between stellar flybys and climate shifts, challenging earlier hypotheses that such events triggered major climatic changes.