Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026
06:10
Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
Published on: March 31, 2023
1.6K
Jurassic climate mode governed by ocean gateway.
Christoph Korte1, Stephen P Hesselbo2, Clemens V Ullmann1,2
1Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen-K, Denmark.
Nature Communications
|December 15, 2015
Summary
Jurassic climate shifts between warm and cool modes, but transition mechanisms were unclear. New oxygen-isotope data reveal a significant Middle Jurassic cooling event linked to oceanic heat transport disruption by lithospheric updoming.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Geophysics
- Marine Geology
Background:
- The Jurassic period (201-145 million years ago) is debated as either a consistently warm "greenhouse" or having variable "icehouse" episodes.
- The drivers of transitions between these proposed Jurassic climate modes remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms behind Jurassic climate mode transitions.
- To present new high-resolution oxygen-isotope data spanning potential climate mode shifts.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a large, high-quality oxygen-isotope dataset.
- Paleoceanographic reconstruction of the Laurasian Seaway.
Main Results:
- An abrupt cooling of up to 10°C in the earliest Middle Jurassic (∼174 Ma) occurred in the Laurasian Seaway.
- This cooling coincided with regional lithospheric updoming in the North Sea area.
- The findings suggest impeded oceanic heat transport as a trigger for cooling.
Conclusions:
- Lithospheric updoming may have disrupted northward oceanic heat transport, initiating a "Cool Mode".
- This climate-mode transition serves as a counter-example to Mesozoic transitions driven by greenhouse gas fluctuations.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
29.7K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
29.7K
01:16What is Climate?
21.4K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
21.4K
02:29Hybrid Zones
22.5K
Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.
22.5K
01:27Microbes and Climate Change
49
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...
49
01:14The Carbon Cycle
45.5K
Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.
45.5K
01:21Isothermal Processes
5.3K
A thermodynamic process that occurs at constant temperature is called an isothermal process. Heat slowly flows into the system or out of the system to maintain thermal equilibrium. Processes involving phase changes like water evaporation into steam or freezing water into ice at a constant temperature are examples of Isothermal Processes.
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
5.3K