Eocene Climate Model Bodes Badly For Us

The eocene epoch lasted from 56 to 34 million years ago. In the beginning, there was little carbon in the atmosphere. However, carbon saturation increased radically during the era due to volcanic gassing during the formation of the North Atlantic Rift. The epoch ended with major asteroid strikes in Siberia and Chesapeake Bay. Scientists have released an eocene climate model to help us understand the effects of warming.

What Their Eocene Climate Model Suggests

The world was 25 degrees fahrenheit warmer 50 million years ago than it is now. This suggests atmospheric carbon dioxide has a bigger impact on climate that we thought. “We are constantly using these climate models to do future projections,” the lead author says.

“Our eocene climate model suggests the future may be very different from what we know now.” “We have always known there was twice the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere then. However previous climate models did not simulate the impact correctly.” This time though, the researchers used a model from the 2014 International Panel on Climate Change report.

The Eocene Epoch – Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and Land

The Earth’s surface temperature rose 5 to 9 degrees celsius as the eocene epoch began. By then, there was only a small difference between equatorial and polar temperatures. Moreover, sea levels were already 130 to 325 feet higher than they are today. However, the latest eocene climate model suggests the warming continued.

The sea level rose even higher as the last spots of polar ice vanished. According to Science Alert, there were crocodiles, palm trees, and sand tiger sharks in the Arctic Circle. Atmospheric carbon-dioxide could double from the current level by the end of this century of we do nothing, they caution.

This would put us on par with the beginning of the eocene epoch. Would humanity have survived that long, or would all our genius and all our dreams have been for nothing.