“Tipping Points” in Earth’s System Triggered Extreme Climate Change 55 Million Years Ago

TOPICS:Atmospheric ScienceClimate ChangeClimate ScienceGeoscienceUniversity Of ExeterVolcano

ByUNIVERSITY OF EXETERSEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Scientists have uncovered a fascinating new insight into what caused one of the most rapid and dramatic instances of climate change in the history of the Earth.

A team of researchers, led by Dr. Sev Kender from the University of Exeter, have made a pivotal breakthrough in the cause behind the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) – an extreme global warming event that lasted for around 150 thousand years which saw significant temperature rises.

Although previous studies have suggested volcanic activity contributed to the vast CO₂emissions that drove the rapid climate change, the trigger for the event is less clear.

In the new study, the researchers have identified elevated levels of mercury just before and at the outset of…