Nature Communications (Aug 2021)

Paleocene/Eocene carbon feedbacks triggered by volcanic activity

  • Sev Kender,
  • Kara Bogus,
  • Gunver K. Pedersen,
  • Karen Dybkjær,
  • Tamsin A. Mather,
  • Erica Mariani,
  • Andy Ridgwell,
  • James B. Riding,
  • Thomas Wagner,
  • Stephen P. Hesselbo,
  • Melanie J. Leng

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25536-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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The Paleocene–Eocene boundary coincided with runaway global warming possibly analogous to future climate change, but the sources of greenhouse gasses have remained unresolved. Here, the authors reveal volcanism triggered initial warming, and subsequent carbon was released after crossing a tipping point.