Hidden ocean feedback regulated Earth's climate for 60 million years
A new study identifies a natural climate feedback mechanism involving sea levels and phosphate levels that has helped regulate Earth's temperature over the last 60 million years. The research suggests that the ocean floor acts as a significant carbon sink, helping to explain long-term cooling trends.
Why it matters
Understanding these natural carbon sequestration processes is essential for improving climate models and predicting future environmental changes.
Earth has gone through many periods of warming and cooling over its long history. Despite these changes, the planet has remained capable of supporting life for hundreds of millions of years. Scientists have long believed that Earth has a natural system that helps keep its climate from becoming too hot or too cold over very long periods. However, how this system works exactly had remained unclear.A new study now has identified an important part of that natural climate control.
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