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Scientists say primitive moss triggered ice age on Earth
Press TV ^
| Feb. 4, 2012
| Who Would Put Their Name to This????
Posted on 02/04/2012 4:53:56 PM PST by Paul Pierett
A recent study suggests that the arrival of primitive moss-like plants 470 million years ago could have triggered a series of mini ice ages on Earth.
Researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Oxford tried to explain how the first land plants could affect the climate about 450 million years ago during the Ordovician Period.
During the Ordovician Period, the planet witnessed a gradually cooling climate that led to a series of mini ice ages.
Scientists believe that the global cooling was a result of a reduction in carbon levels in the atmosphere.
The findings published in Nature Geoscience show that the arrival of primitive moss-like plants was the major cause of the phenomenon.
"The humble moss has created the climate which we enjoy today, from which the life we see all around us evolved," said Prof. Tim Lenton of Exeter University.
Atmospheric levels of Carbon dioxide were 16 times higher 480 million years ago which led to a higher global temperature.
The CO2 levels fell by half and the planet began to cool by about 460 million years ago.
The invasion of the land by plants -- a pivotal time in the history of the planet -- brought about huge climate changes, noted Prof. Liam Dolan of Oxford University.
Researchers realized that the moss interaction with rocks was the main cause as mosses extract nutrients from rocks by dissolving them with acid.
(Excerpt) Read more at presstv.com ...
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; climatechange; globalwarming; globalwarminghoax; itsthesunstupid; ntsa; ordovician; rubberroom; totalbs
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I love to watch Sand Cranes on the golf courses in Florida play with moles they have dug up from the ground around the Greens before they eat them. Have fun with this one.
To: Paul Pierett
A roiling globe gathers no moss?
2
posted on
02/04/2012 4:59:15 PM PST
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: tet68
Actually most of the terraforming scenarios seem to
involve introduction of simple plants, you don’t think??
Naaaaah.
3
posted on
02/04/2012 5:01:23 PM PST
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; ...
Yes, you read that right -- global climate change and ice ages were brought about by the gradual spread of moss. NTSA ping.
Thanks Paul Pierett.
4
posted on
02/04/2012 5:03:39 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: Paul Pierett
Since every real study of actual physical evidence (ice cores, etc.) indicates that temperature fluctuations precede changes in atmospheric CO2 levels, would it not be more plausible to theorize that a variable sun cooled the planet and thus reduced the CO2? Or is that too heretical for the true believers' tender ears to hear?
5
posted on
02/04/2012 5:04:12 PM PST
by
katana
(Just my opinions)
To: tet68; SunkenCiv; All
SC, a ping worthy event? That moss must have made a lot of 02,
6
posted on
02/04/2012 5:04:12 PM PST
by
gleeaikin
To: Paul Pierett
7
posted on
02/04/2012 5:04:47 PM PST
by
Linda Frances
(Only God can change a heart, but we can pray for hearts to be changed.)
To: SunkenCiv; Paul Pierett; tet68
This thread needs a lichen button.
8
posted on
02/04/2012 5:09:37 PM PST
by
bigheadfred
(Bang a gong)
To: Paul Pierett
Old paradigms die hard in science. (Look at the attempts to rescue classical mechanics from the precession of the orbit of Mercury.) The idea that terrestrial, rather than solar, phenomena are the main drivers of climate will spawn strange hypothesis after strange hypothesis until a solar minimum triggers a full-blown ice-age despite continued increases in atmospheric CO2, at which point Svensmark will be hailed as a scientific genius in the last few years before the glaciers, famines and wars caused by population migration destroy civilization.
9
posted on
02/04/2012 5:12:13 PM PST
by
The_Reader_David
(And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
To: Paul Pierett
And its the liberals that will trigger the next ice age, after they remove any and all man-made warming factors that would have mitigated and/or postponed the next five ice ages.
10
posted on
02/04/2012 5:14:04 PM PST
by
C210N
(Dems: "We must tax you so that we can buy your votes")
To: Paul Pierett
Global Warming was caused by a Bush.
11
posted on
02/04/2012 5:16:27 PM PST
by
digger48
To: gleeaikin
I’m so impressed, I’m going back in time and pinging the list. Thanks glee’! ;’)
12
posted on
02/04/2012 5:17:03 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: bigheadfred
13
posted on
02/04/2012 5:17:29 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; Rurudyne; steelyourfaith; Tolerance Sucks Rocks; xcamel
14
posted on
02/04/2012 5:19:17 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: Paul Pierett
Atmospheric levels of Carbon dioxide were 16 times higher 480 million years ago which led to a higher global temperature. The CO2 levels fell by half and the planet began to cool by about 460 million years ago. I take it that it doesn't occur to these scientist that if CO2 levels fell by half that of course means CO2 levels were still 8x higher than today.
And if we can have ice ages when CO2 is that much higher, how much does CO2 really matter?
15
posted on
02/04/2012 5:53:05 PM PST
by
qam1
(There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
To: katana
Since every real study of actual physical evidence (ice cores, etc.) indicates that temperature fluctuations precede changes in atmospheric CO2 levels, would it not be more plausible to theorize that a variable sun cooled the planet and thus reduced the CO2? Or is that too heretical for the true believers' tender ears to hear?It would be but it's hard to come up with a sun spot tax.
16
posted on
02/04/2012 5:57:29 PM PST
by
Drill Thrawl
(The damage is too extensive. Burn it down and start over.)
To: Paul Pierett
17
posted on
02/04/2012 6:04:07 PM PST
by
hosepipe
(This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole...)
To: hosepipe
What kind of suv’s did the moss drive?
18
posted on
02/04/2012 6:10:16 PM PST
by
BeAllYouCanBe
(Until Americans love their own children more than they love Nancy Pelosi this suicide will continue.)
To: Paul Pierett
What hogwash. Their CO2-obsession leads them to the most delightful nonsense.
To: Paul Pierett
480 Million BC - mosses extract nutrients from rocks by dissolving them with acid.
2012 A.D. - mosses still extract nutrients from rocks by dissolving them with acid.
Wow, looks like evolution took a holiday.
20
posted on
02/04/2012 6:15:25 PM PST
by
UglyinLA
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