Saw an amazing report on BBC News today. Scientists have been drilling sediment cores from beneath the Arctic Ocean. They are researching how long the Arctic sea ice, now melting, has lasted.
Turns out the North Pole once enjoyed a sub-tropical "Mediterranean" climate about 55 million years ago. The water temperature was closer to 70 degrees Fahrenheit than the below-freezing temperatures there now.
This time period "was characterized by an extremely warm climate that created a natural greenhouse effect, which caused massive amounts of carbon to be deposited in both sea and air," the article states. This caused a huge die-off of many species of plants and animals. Only the strongest organisms were able to survive.
It seems obvious now that the global warming phenomenon is something that occurs on planet Earth from time to time. There is a warm period, followed by a cooling period. We're beginning another warm cycle now.
Hope you packed your water wings, everyone!
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1 comment:
Rad! I love swimming! Call Kevin Costner and put on some ragged-looking clothes!!!
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