A carbon isotope challenge to the snowball Earth

P. Sansjofre (), M. Ader, R. I. F. Trindade, M. Elie, J. Lyons, P. Cartigny and A. C. R. Nogueira
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P. Sansjofre: Équipe de Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Univ. Paris Diderot, UMR 7154 CNRS
M. Ader: Équipe de Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Univ. Paris Diderot, UMR 7154 CNRS
R. I. F. Trindade: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226
M. Elie: UMR CNRS 7566 G2R, Nancy-Université, CNRS, BP 239
J. Lyons: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, 595 Charles Young Dr. East
P. Cartigny: Équipe de Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Univ. Paris Diderot, UMR 7154 CNRS
A. C. R. Nogueira: Faculdade de Geologia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Pará, CEP 66.075-110

Nature, 2011, vol. 478, issue 7367, 93-96

Abstract: Going soft on a snowball Earth The snowball Earth hypothesis contends that most of the planet was covered with thick ice for millions of years, about three-quarters of a billion years ago. A dramatic warming event, thought to have been fuelled by high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, eventually defrosted Earth. A new isotopic analysis of rocks that were laid down after the initial glaciation challenges the idea of a hard snowball Earth. The data are consistent with a rather low partial pressure of atmospheric CO2, not the orders of magnitude above current levels that would provide the extreme warming necessary for escape from snowball Earth. This supports the idea that the initial glaciation was much less severe than has been proposed.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature10499

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