Atmospheric CO2 levels during the Carboniferous were drawn down by extensive forest burial
the verdict
INSUFFICIENT LEANING
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
5 sources for · 0 against
Peer-reviewed literature indicates that atmospheric CO2 concentrations decreased during the Carboniferous period and notes that plant expansion contributed to organic carbon storage, but the provided evidence only partially establishes the extent to which forest burial specifically drove the drawdown.
The onset of the late Palaeozoic ice age about 340 million years ago has been attributed to a decrease in atmospheric CO2 concentrations associated with expansion of land plants, as plants both enhance silicate rock weathering—which consumes CO2—and increase the storage of organic carbon on land. However, plant expansion and carbon uptake substantially predate glaciation. Here we use climate and carbon cycle simulations to investigate the potential effects of the uplift of the equatorial Hercynian mountains and the assembly of Pangaea on the late Palaeozoic carbon cycle. In our simulations, mountain uplift during the Late Carboniferous caused an increase in physical weathering that removed the thick soil cover that had inhibited silicate weathering. The resulting increase in chemical weathering was sufficient to cause atmospheric CO2 concentrations to fall below the levels required to initiate glaciation. During the Permian, the lowering of the mountains led to a re-establishment of thick soils, whilst the assembly of Pangaea promoted arid conditions in continental interiors that were unfavourable for silicate weathering. These changes allowed CO2 concentrations to rise to levels sufficient to terminate the glacial event. Based on our simulations, we suggest that tectonically influenced carbon cycle changes during the late Palaeozoic were sufficient to initiate and terminate the late Palaeozoic ice age. The late Palaeozoic was characterized by glacial cycles. Numerical simula
Onset and ending of the late Palaeozoic ice age triggered by tectonically paced rock weathering - Archive ouverte HAL × × × Loading...
× Article Dans Une Revue Nature Geoscience Année : 2017 Onset and ending of the late Palaeozoic ice age triggered by tectonically paced rock weathering Yves Goddéris (1) , Yannick Donnadieu (2, 3, 4) , Sébastien Carretier (1) , Markus Aretz (1) , Guillaume Dera (5) , Mélina Macouin (6) , Vincent Regard (1) Afficher plus de détails 1 LMTG - Laboratoire des Mécanismes et Transfert en Géologie (14 avenue Edouard Belin 31400 Toulouse - France) 731 UT3 - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (118 route de Narbonne - 31062 Toulouse - France) 217752 Comue de Toulouse - Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse (41 Allée Jules Guesde, 31000 Toulouse - France) 443875 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) 441569 "> LMTG - Laboratoire des Mécanismes et Transfert en Géologie 2 CEREGE - Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de l'Environnement (Europôle Méditerranéen de l'Arbois - Avenue Louis Philibert - BP 80 - 13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 4 - France) 199954 IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement : UMR_D161 (Siège Le Sextant 44, bd de Dunkerque CS 90009 13572 Marseille cedex 02 - France) 67872 INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique : UMR1410 (France) 92114 AMU - Aix Marseille Université : UM34 (Aix-Marseille Université Jardins du Pharo 58 Boulevard Charles Livon 13284 Marseille cedex 7 - France) 198056 CdF (institution) - Collège de France : UMR7330 (France) 300026 INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU-CNRS 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75794 Paris Cedex 16 - France) 300045 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : UMR7330 (France) 441569 "> CEREGE - Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de l'Environnement 3 LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] (Bât.
12, avenue de la Terrasse, F-91198 GIF-SUR-YVETTE CEDEX - France) 518 UVSQ - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines : UMR8212 (55 avenue de Paris - 78035 Versailles cedex - France) 81173 INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers : UMR8212 (INSU-CNRS 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75794 Paris Cedex 16 - France) 300045 Université Paris-Saclay (Bâtiment Bréguet, 3 Rue Joliot Curie 2e ét, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette - France) 419361 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : UMR8212 (France) 441569 DRF (CEA) - Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (Direction de Recherche Fondamentale Fundamental Research Division CEA Saclay 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette - France) 465913 CEA - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (Centre de Saclay Centre de Grenoble Centre de Cadarache etc - France) 300016 "> LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] 4 CLIM - Modélisation du climat (LSCE.
CEA Paris-Saclay. Orme des merisiers. 91190 Saint-Aubin. - France) 1007954 LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] : LSCE (Bât.
12, avenue de la Terrasse, F-91198 GIF-SUR-YVETTE CEDEX - France) 518 UVSQ - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines : UMR8212 (55 avenue de Paris - 78035 Versailles cedex - France) 81173 INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers : UMR8212 (INSU-CNRS 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75794 Paris Cedex 16 - France) 300045 Université Paris-Saclay (Bâtiment Bréguet, 3 Rue Joliot Curie 2e ét, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette - France) 419361 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : UMR8212 (France) 441569 DRF (CEA) - Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (Direction de Recherche Fondamentale Fundamental Research Division CEA Saclay 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette - France) 465913 CEA - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (Centre de Saclay Centre de Grenoble Centre de Cadarache etc - France) 300016 "> CLIM - Modélisation du climat 5 GET - Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées 14 Avenue Edouard Belin 31400 Toulouse - France) 151875 IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement : UR 254 (Siège Le Sextant 44, bd de Dunkerque CS 90009 13572 Marseille cedex 02 - France) 67872 UT3 - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (118 route de Narbonne - 31062 Toulouse - France) 217752 Comue de Toulouse - Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse (41 Allée Jules Gue
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations seem to have been several times modern levels during much of the Palaeozoic era (543-248 million years ago), but decreased during the Carboniferous period to concentrations similar to that of today. Given that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, it has been proposed that surface temperatures were significantly higher during the earlier portions of the Palaeozoic era. A reconstruction of tropical sea surface temperatures based on the delta18O of carbonate fossils indicates, however, that the magnitude of temperature variability throughout this period was small, suggesting that global climate may be independent of variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Here we present estimates of sea surface temperatures that were obtained from fossil brachiopod and mollusc shells using the 'carbonate clumped isotope' method-an approach that, unlike the delta18O method, does not require independent estimates of the isotopic composition of the Palaeozoic ocean. Our results indicate that tropical sea surface temperatures were significantly higher than today during the Early Silurian period (443-423 Myr ago), when carbon dioxide concentrations are thought to have been relatively high, and were broadly similar to today during the Late Carboniferous period (314-300 Myr ago), when carbon dioxide concentrations are thought to have been similar to the present-day value. Our results are consistent with the proposal that increased atmospheric ca
Coupling of surface temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations during the Palaeozoic era | Nature Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.
Advertisement Abstract Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations seem to have been several times modern levels during much of the Palaeozoic era (543–248 million years ago), but decreased during the Carboniferous period to concentrations similar to that of today 1 , 2 , 3 . Given that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, it has been proposed that surface temperatures were significantly higher during the earlier portions of the Palaeozoic era 1 .
Our results indicate that tropical sea surface temperatures were significantly higher than today during the Early Silurian period (443–423 Myr ago), when carbon dioxide concentrations are thought to have been relatively high, and were broadly similar to today during the Late Carboniferous period (314–300 Myr ago), when carbon dioxide concentrations are thought to have been similar to the present-day value. Our results are consistent with the proposal that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations drive or amplify increased global temperatures 1 , 6 .
Similar content being viewed by others Projected reversal of oceanic stable carbon isotope ratio depth gradient with continued anthropogenic carbon emissions Article Open access 15 March 2022 Coupled decline in ocean pH and carbonate saturation during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum Article 12 November 2024 Tectonic–astronomical interactions in shaping late Paleozoic climate and organic carbon burial Article Open access 02 October 2025 References Berner, R. A. GEOCARBII: A revised model of atmospheric CO2 over Phanerozoic time. Am. J. Sci. 294 , 56–91 (1994) Article ADS CAS Google Scholar Berner, R. A. & Kothavala, Z.
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Phanerozoic climate zones and paleogeography with a consideration of atmospheric CO2 levels. Paleont J. 38 , 115–122 (2004) Google Scholar Veizer, J. et al. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 13 C and δ 18 O evolution of Phanerozoic seawater. Chem. Geol. 161 , 59–88 (1999) Article ADS CAS Google Scholar Land, L. S. Comment on “Oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of Ordovician brachiopods: Implications for coeval seawater” by H.
Abstract Theoretical models predict a marked increase in atmospheric O2 to ∼35% during the Permo-Carboniferous (∼300 Ma) occurring against a low (∼0.03%) CO2 level. An upper O2 value of 35%, however, remains disputed because ignition data indicate that excessive global forest fires would have ensued. This uncertainty limits interpretation of the role played by atmospheric oxygen in Late Paleozoic biotic evolution. Here, we describe new results from laboratory experiments with vascular land plants that establish that a rise in O2 to 35% increases isotopic fractionation (Δ13C) during growth relative to control plants grown at 21% O2. Despite some effect of the background atmospheric CO2 level on the magnitude of the increase, we hypothesize that a substantial Permo-Carboniferous rise in O2 could have imprinted a detectable geochemical signature in the plant fossil record. Over 50 carbon isotope measurements on intact carbon from four fossil plant clades with differing physiological ecologies and ranging in age from Devonian to Cretaceous reveal a substantial Δ13C anomaly (5‰) occurring between 300 and 250 Ma. The timing and direction of the Δ13C excursion is consistent with the effects of a high O2 atmosphere on plants, as predicted from photosynthetic theory and observed in our experiments. Preliminary calibration of the fossil Δ13C record against experimental data yields a predicted O2/CO2 mixing ratio of the ancient atmosphere consistent with that calculated from long-term m
This report summarizes results of CMCSCFCB—Critical Minerals in Coaly Strata of the Cherokee-Forest City Basin, a multiyear and multidisciplinary study funded through DE-FOA-0002364 as part of the Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative for U.S. Basins. Our working group of state and tribal agencies collected data and made interpretations included herein. It also surveyed the regional potential for critical mineral/material production.