“Doubling CO2 Levels Could Lead to 14 Degree Temperature Increase, Study Finds”
The study conducted by researchers at NIOZ, the Universities of Utrecht and Bristol, has revealed alarming findings regarding the potential impact of increased CO2 levels on Earth’s temperature. By analyzing sediments from a drill core extracted from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, the researchers have uncovered that a doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere could lead to a temperature increase ranging from 7 to 14 degrees.
The drill core used in the study, which dates back 45 years, provided a unique opportunity for researchers to examine CO2 levels over the past 15 million years from a single location. This allowed them to extract data on past seawater temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels using innovative methods.
One such method, the TEX86 method developed 20 years ago at NIOZ, involved analyzing specific substances present in the membrane of archaea, a class of microorganisms. These substances, found as molecular fossils in ocean sediments, provided insights into past temperatures. Additionally, the researchers developed a new approach to estimate past atmospheric CO2 levels by analyzing the chemical composition of chlorophyll and cholesterol, substances commonly found in algae.
The results of the study indicate a significant drop in CO2 concentration over the past 15 million years, from around 650 parts per million to 280 just before the industrial revolution. Furthermore, when plotting the derived temperature and atmospheric CO2 levels against each other, a strong relationship was observed, highlighting the potential impact of CO2 concentration on global temperatures.
The findings suggest that the current estimates by the UN climate panel, IPCC, may underestimate the potential temperature increase associated with rising CO2 levels. Professor Jaap Sinninghe Damsté emphasized the importance of taking immediate action to reduce CO2 emissions and implement technological innovations to offset these emissions. The research serves as a stark warning of the significant impact that CO2 concentration could have on Earth’s temperature if adequate measures are not taken to address climate change.