Discover the secrets of Earth’s ancient climate by exploring the tropical forest in Martinique near Fond St-Denis. Millions of years ago, temperatures were much warmer and wetter than today, with winter temperatures reaching over 18°C in the UK and Ireland, similar to today’s summer.
Travel back in time through layers of rocks to uncover past climates before human records. A recent study focused on the climates of the UK and Ireland from 33 to 20 million years ago when carbon dioxide levels were comparable to present times.
By analyzing fossilized pollen from plants preserved in rocks across 25 locations, researchers reconstructed climate data for a 13-million-year period. The changing pollen compositions provided insights into mean annual temperature and precipitation levels during that era.
This study sheds light on Earth’s climate history and its potential future without Greenland ice as we face environmental challenges ahead.
2024-09-15 01:15:03
Original article available at phys.org