LIFESCI 2H03 Lecture Notes - Sea Ice
14 Apr 2014
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Document Summary
Albeedo effect- always active, but this time in the opposite direction. 250 million years ago- mystery, the world got really hot, 95% species were wiped out. Karoo basin in africa- this area used to thrive. Contained grey-red rocks which are divide from each other by colour biggest extinction. Syrian traps- lava came from beneath the surface causing flood basalts produced so much carbon dioxide and warming up the earth pores. Unlike us, plants need carbon dioxide and they breath it through their. 250 mya- there was ten time more carbon dioxide than now. Carbon dioxide increase by 700%, earth warmed by 18 celsius, plants vanished along with the food supply. 55 mya- arctic was a warm tropical ocean. The temperature was about 22 celsius higher than today. Suddenly, volcanic eruptions caused higher levels of greenhouse gases. Methane bubbles, produced by bacteria from plankton and could explain the climate change back then.
