"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The poor polar bears, it must have been tough on them.
I say we outlaw all future volcanic explosions.
Very old news. The event 55 million years ago was known as the Eocene Thermal Maximum, which was one of the warmest spells in Earth’s recent geological history. While it is true that Alaska and Svalbard were much closer to the north pole, it’s also true that there was ocean between North and South America and a huge body of warm shallow water between Africa and Eurasia. All of that warm water circulating about might have led to the conditions at the thermal maximum. It’s also true that the thermal maximum is considered a minor extinction event. It’s all fascinating stuff.
What it tells me is that the Earth’s climate has some mighty powerful swings sometimes without any human impact whatsoever.
More hype from the causally challenged. High temperatures cause high CO2 levels, not the other way around.
55 million years ago, during the Eocene Thermal Maximum, there were no continents over the poles. Norway was probably close to where it is now but ...
Antarctica moved over the south pole in the next 10 million years (and promptly froze over) and Greenland moved closer to the north pole about 30 million years later (and promptly froze over.)
The continental positions have a huge impact on the amount of sunlight absorbed by the Earth. Think of the sunlight that is reflected by the glaciers on Antarctica and Greenland today. Move those two landmasses, 200 miles away the poles and there is no glaciers there anymore. The Earth would be about 3 degrees warmer and we would be approaching the conditions of the ETM.