Ancient raindrop fossils shed light on early atmosphere
Friday, March 30, 2012 - 22:30
in Earth & Climate
Imprints made 2.7 billion years ago hold clues to why the Earth was warmer than it should have been under a weaker sun. Fossilized imprints of raindrops that were sealed into stone 2.7 billion years ago indicate that Earth's early atmosphere could have been packed with greenhouse gases, according to new research that addresses a long-standing paradox of the planet's early history.