fossils
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Greenland's ice-free past raises concerns about sea level rise
New fossils found in Greenland suggest the continent was nearly ice-free in the past, sparking concerns about future ice loss and rising sea levels.
In short:
- Researchers from the University of Vermont discovered ancient plant and insect fossils in ice core samples from Greenland, indicating that the continent was largely ice-free within the last 1.1 million years.
- The findings suggest that Greenland's ice sheet, which contains enough water to raise sea levels by 23 feet, could melt more easily than previously thought, as current CO2 levels are at a historical high.
- Experts urge immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, warning that melting the Greenland ice sheet would be irreversible.
Key quote:
"Most likely, we’re creating a world where these ice sheets are going to melt.”
— Tyler Jones, glaciology researcher at the University of Colorado
Why this matters:
If Greenland's ice melts, global sea levels could rise significantly, threatening coastal communities worldwide. Understanding Greenland's past climate conditions helps scientists predict future changes and highlights the urgency of climate action to mitigate these impacts.
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www.nytimes.com
Dissolving in Toxic Oceans: How an Ancient Extinction Happened - The New York Times
Scientists say rocks on the English coast contain clues of the processes that drove the end-Triassic event that killed as much as a quarter of all life on Earth.
Bitcoin-mining power plant raises ire of environmentalists
An obstacle to large-scale bitcoin mining is finding enough cheap energy to run the power-gobbling computer arrays that create and transact cryptocurrency. One operation in central New York came up with a novel solution that has alarmed environmentalists.
apnews.com
Rat nests contribute to fossil record in odd Wyoming cave
It's time to praise pack rats. The small rodents with big eyes are helping scientists decipher climate change deep inside a chilly Wyoming cave.
www.theguardian.com
Climate change 'delayed migration of plant-eating dinosaurs by millions of years'
Plant-eating dinosaurs probably arrived in the northern hemisphere millions of years after their meat-eating cousins, a delay probably caused by climate change, a new study has found.
www.nationalgeographic.com
Ginkgo trees nearly went extinct. Here’s how we saved these ‘living fossils'
These ancient trees persisted for nearly 200 million years until they all but vanished. Now they line city streets.
www.nytimes.com
Burning fossil fuels helped drive Earth's most massive extinction
Massive volcanic eruptions ignited oil and coal deposits in Siberia in the events that led to the Permian-Triassic “Great Dying” event.
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