Caldeira Lab Research:Paleoclimate and geochemical cycles
An Ancient Carbon Mystery
Mark Pagani, Ken Caldeira, David Archer, & James C. Zachos
An investigation of the cause of a massive global warming event 55 million years ago.
Atmospheric carbon concentration during the PETM (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum): Carbon dioxide levels millions of years ago were much higher than they are today. The temperature rise that happened then would require carbon levels of up to 30000ppm.
Abstract
About 55 million years ago, Earth experienced a period of global warming that lasted ~170,000 years (1). This climate event—the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)—may be the best ancient analog for future increases in atmospheric CO2. But how well do we understand this event?