Why Didn't The Whole Planet Freeze During Ice Ages? Plants And CO2
Thursday, July 2, 2009 - 10:56
in Earth & Climate
When glaciers advanced over much of the planet's surface during the last ice age, what kept Earth from freezing over entirely? Climate scientists are unsure because popular numerical models indicated that over the past 24 million years geological conditions should have caused carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to plummet, possibly leading to runaway "icehouse" conditions - yes, we needed CO2-related global warming, they said - but researchers writing in Nature claims plants are a missing piece of the puzzle. read more
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