About 50 million years ago, Earth experienced its warmest climate since the extinction of the dinosaurs. Global temperatures were more than 10°C higher than today, and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations reached around 1,600 parts per million. But what kept CO₂ levels so extraordinarily high for millions of years? An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has identified an important piece of the puzzle: the Southern Ocean.
Science · 2026-11-09
How the Southern Ocean helped fuel Earth's warmest climate in 65 million years
About 50 million years ago, Earth experienced its warmest climate since the extinction of the dinosaurs. Global temperatures were more than 10°C higher than today, and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations reached around 1,600 parts per million. But what kept CO₂ levels so extraordinarily high for millions of years?
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Original source: Phys.org Research ↗
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