Pollen Remains Indicate Warmer Temperatures in Arctic 50 Million Years Ago
26.10.2009 - Atmosphere & Space, Flora & Fauna, Human Dimension, Other, Arctic
Research recently published in Nature Geoscience indicates that palmtrees flourished in the Arctic during an unusual "Hothouse" period some 50 million years ago. Scientists involved in an international studyled by Appy Sluijs of Utrecht University in the Netherlands foundpollen from palms, conifers, oaks, pecans and other species of treesfrom more temperate zones on a ridge that was close to the North Polesome 50 million years ago.
Since palm trees cannot survive a frost, these findings seem to contradict current computer model simulations, which shows that temperatures remained below freezing point even during the unexplained warm period between 50,000 and 200,000 years ago. The presence of the pollen suggests that the average temperature during the coldest month of the year was about 8°C. Recent experiments have also proved that palms are able to survive prolonged darkness, allowing them to grow in places where the sun does not shine for a good part of the year.
While there is near consensus in the scientific community that modern climate change is being caused by greenhouse gasses produced by humans, the reason for the intense warming 50 million years ago might have been due to an abrupt rise in carbon dioxide levels caused by volcanic eruptions or a massive release of methane released from the seabed. Another possibility for the ancient warming might have been clouds acting like a blanket, trapping the heat, causing a spike in warming.
