Arc-continent collisions in the tropics set Earth’s climate state

Macdonald, Francis A.; Swanson‐Hysell, Nicholas L.; Park, Yuem; Lisiecki, L. E.; Jagoutz, Oliver

doi:10.1126/science.aav5300

Cited by 194 publications

(176 citation statements)

References 211 publications

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“…In a way qualitatively similar to the Pangea calculation, this behavior reflects enhanced volcanic outgassing and a transition away from a

normalp {CO}_{2}

sink governed globally by seafloor weathering processes to one controlled by intense surface weathering operating at the margins of spreading continental fragments in a continental arc regime. As with Pangea, by neglecting compositional controls including the likely emergence of ophiolite rocks in forearc‐continent sutures during breakup (Macdonald et al, ) and by fixing MOR and arc lengths, we almost certainly underestimate the strength of this surface weathering sink and overestimate the peak

normalp {CO}_{2}

.…”

Section: Supercontinental Climate Control In An Evolving Mantle Thermmentioning

confidence: 98%

Ice, Fire, or Fizzle: The Climate Footprint of Earth's Supercontinental Cycles

Jellinek

Lenardic

Pierrehumbert

2020

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Supercontinent assembly and breakup can influence the rate and global extent to which insulated and relatively warm subcontinental mantle is mixed globally, potentially introducing lateral oceanic‐continental mantle temperature variations that regulate volcanic and weathering controls on Earth's long‐term carbon cycle for a few hundred million years. We propose that the relatively warm and unchanging climate of the Nuna supercontinental epoch (1.8–1.3 Ga) is characteristic of thorough mantle thermal mixing. By contrast, the extreme cooling‐warming climate variability of the Neoproterozoic Rodinia episode (1–0.63 Ga) and the more modest but similar climate change during the Mesozoic Pangea cycle (0.3–0.05 Ga) are characteristic features of the effects of subcontinental mantle thermal isolation with differing longevity. A tectonically modulated carbon cycle model coupled to a one‐dimensional energy balance climate model predicts the qualitative form of Mesozoic climate evolution expressed in tropical sea‐surface temperature and ice sheet proxy data. Applied to the Neoproterozoic, this supercontinental control can drive Earth into, as well as out of, a continuous or intermittently panglacial climate, consistent with aspects of proxy data for the Cryogenian‐Ediacaran period. The timing and magnitude of this cooling‐warming climate variability depends, however, on the detailed character of mantle thermal mixing, which is incompletely constrained. We show also that the predominant modes of chemical weathering and a tectonically paced abiotic methane production at mid‐ocean ridges can modulate the intensity of this climate change. For the Nuna epoch, the model predicts a relatively warm and ice‐free climate related to mantle dynamics potentially consistent with the intense anorogenic magmatism of this period.

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“…In a way qualitatively similar to the Pangea calculation, this behavior reflects enhanced volcanic outgassing and a transition away from a

normalp {CO}_{2}

normalp {CO}_{2}

.…”

Section: Supercontinental Climate Control In An Evolving Mantle Thermmentioning

confidence: 98%

Ice, Fire, or Fizzle: The Climate Footprint of Earth's Supercontinental Cycles

Jellinek

Lenardic

Pierrehumbert

2020

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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“…Time constraints on the growth of the Tibetan Plateau to present‐day elevations, however, are ambiguous (e.g., Botsyun et al, ; van Hinsbergen & Boschman, ; Figures b and c and section ), which hampers establishing a straightforward correlation between climate cooling and the reduction of atmospheric CO 2 concentration due to Himalayan‐Tibetan uplift and associated enhanced weathering. As an alternative or complementary mechanism, Jagoutz et al () propose atmospheric CO 2 drawdown due to weathering of mafic and ultramafic rocks between ~50 and 40 Ma (see also Macdonald et al, ).…”

Section: Solid Earth Control On Cenozoic Climate Coolingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magmatic Forcing of Cenozoic Climate?

et al. 2020

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Established theories ascribe much of the observed long-term Cenozoic climate cooling to atmospheric carbon consumption by erosion and weathering of tectonically uplifted terrains, but climatic effects due to changes in magmatism and carbon degassing are also involved. At timescales comparable to those of Milankovitch cycles, late Cenozoic building/melting of continental ice sheets, erosion, and sea level changes can affect magmatism, which provides an opportunity to explore possible feedbacks between climate and volcanic changes. Existing data show that extinction of Neo-Tethyan volcanic arcs is largely synchronous with phases of atmospheric carbon reduction, suggesting waning degassing as a possible contribution to climate cooling throughout the early to middle Cenozoic. In addition, the increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations during the last deglaciation may be ascribed to enhanced volcanism and carbon emissions due to unloading of active magmatic provinces on continents. The deglacial rise in atmospheric CO 2 points to a mutual feedback between climate and volcanism mediated by the redistribution of surface masses and carbon emissions. This may explain the progression to higher amplitude and increasingly asymmetric cycles of late Cenozoic climate oscillations. Unifying theories relating tectonic, erosional, climatic, and magmatic changes across timescales via the carbon cycle offer an opportunity for future research into the coupling between surface and deep Earth processes. Plain Language Summary Among the most fascinating contemporary developments in theEarth Sciences is the idea that plate tectonics and climate changes are coupled through complex cycles. More than four decades of study have revealed tantalizing examples of relationships between processes near the Earth's surface and deeper within. Accounting for such a surface-deep Earth process coupling has improved our understanding of major climate and tectonic events for virtually all timescales. So far, however, the role of magmatism was overlooked. Magmatism exerts a strong influence on the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere because of volcanic outgassing. In turn, tectonic and climatic changes control the transfer of rocks, water, and ice masses at the Earth surface and within the Earth's interior, thereby affecting the production, transfer, and eruption of magmas. Unravelling the interactions between surface and deep Earth processes accounting for magmatism will help managing natural resources and mitigating natural hazards. Even more importantly, understanding how climate is naturally related to plate tectonics and magmatism will allow scientists to assess the anthropogenic perturbations to the Earth system and anticipate ongoing and future climate changes.

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“…As an integrative climate metric, atmospheric pCO 2 is influenced by all fluxes of CO 2 between the atmosphere and solid Earth, which makes it challenging to determine the dominant CO 2 fluxes through geologic time. While endogenic fluxes establish base-level climate states, atmospheric pCO 2 is also influenced by silicate weathering, organic carbon burial, oxidation of organic matter, and the paleogeography of crustal material (e.g., Kump et al, 2000;Macdonald et al, 2019). Most tectonic (Royer et al, 2004) and from measurements 420 Ma-present (Foster et al, 2017). fluxes appear weakly correlated with pCO 2 from 200 Ma to present (Wong et al, 2019).…”

Section: Metamorphic Decarbonation In the Geologic Carbon Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Remnants and Rates of Metamorphic Decarbonation in Continental Arcs

Ramos¹,

Lackey²,

Barnes³

et al. 2020

GSAT

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Metamorphic decarbonation in magmatic arcs remains a challenge to impose in models of the geologic carbon cycle. Crustal reservoirs and metamorphic fluxes of carbon vary with depth in the crust, rock types and their stratigraphic succession, and through geologic time. When byproducts of metamorphic decarbonation (e.g., skarns) are exposed at Earth's surface, they reveal a record of reactive transport of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). In this paper, we discuss the different modes of metamorphic decarbonation at multiple spatial and temporal scales and exemplify them through roof pendants of the Sierra Nevada batholith. We emphasize the utility of analogue models for metamorphic decarbonation to generate a range of decarbonation fluxes throughout the Cretaceous. Our model predicts that metamorphic CO 2 fluxes from continental arcs during the Cretaceous were at least 2 times greater than the present cumulative CO 2 flux from volcanoes, agreeing with previous estimates and further suggesting that metamorphic decarbonation was a principal driver of the Cretaceous hothouse climate. We lastly argue that our modeling framework can be used to quantify decarbonation fluxes throughout the Phanerozoic and thereby refine Earth systems models for paleoclimate reconstruction.

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Arc-continent collisions in the tropics set Earth’s climate state

Cited by 194 publications

References 211 publications

Ice, Fire, or Fizzle: The Climate Footprint of Earth's Supercontinental Cycles

Ice, Fire, or Fizzle: The Climate Footprint of Earth's Supercontinental Cycles

Magmatic Forcing of Cenozoic Climate?

Remnants and Rates of Metamorphic Decarbonation in Continental Arcs

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