Rate Of Atmospheric Carbon Buildup Now 10X Faster Than During Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

[hatrack]

PARIS — Carbon is pouring into Earth's atmosphere ten times faster today than during a dramatic event 56 million years ago that raised Earth's temperature by at least five degrees Celsius (nine degrees Fahrenheit), according to a study released Sunday. That's not good news, geologists say, because the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM, might have been a pre-historic dress rehearsal for a future climate change event that could be more abrupt and more damaging.

"Given that we are pumping carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere at a rate nearly ten times that of the PETM means that the climate system is having to adjust to a much more intense disturbance," said Lee Kump, a professor at Penn State University and a co-author of the study.

The PETM unfolded over a period of at least 10,000 years, more likely 20,000, according to the new research. That's a blink of the eye in geological time, but was long enough for animals and plants to adapt. At least most of them -- a significant slice of deep sea life went extinct.

What worries scientists is that an accelerated version of this scenario may be playing out today. "Since life is as sensitive to the rates of change as to the absolute amount of change, fossil-fuel burning is likely disrupting natural ecosystems at a global scale in a way that may have little precedence in Earth history," Kump said in an email exchange.

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[FirstLight]

1. kick...

[XemaSab]

2. .

[Nihil]

3. "May you live in interesting times."

> "Given that we are pumping carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere at a rate
> nearly ten times that of the PETM means that the climate system is having to
> adjust to a much more intense disturbance," said Lee Kump, a professor at
> Penn State University and a co-author of the study.
>
> The PETM unfolded over a period of at least 10,000 years, more likely 20,000,
> according to the new research. That's a blink of the eye in geological time,
> but was long enough for animals and plants to adapt. At least most of them --
> a significant slice of deep sea life went extinct.

Future geologists (of whatever species) will notice the thin boundary layer
that marks the end of the anthropocene: a near global stratigraphic discontinuity
containing a band of hydrocarbons (buried plastics + asphalt) interspersed with
metal oxides & carbonate conglomerates (rebar & concrete) that appears to coincide
with the disappearance of large numbers of species (marine as well as land),
including the strange tunnelling creatures that were responsible for most of the
bioperturbation.

No doubt they will spend a lot of time hunting for the impact crater linked to
the extinction event rather than entertain the outrageous thought that a species
might have arisen with sufficient ability to change the planet in such a manner
yet insufficient wisdom to avoid self-termination in such a short time.

[Javaman]

4. Wait till negative feed back really gets going. We will look upon this time as the salad days. nt