Volcanic rocks may trigger massive unpredicted global warming effects: Study

Greenhouse gas emissions directly from movement of volcanic rocks can create massive global warming effects -- more than previously believed -- according to a study which may le to changes in way scientists estimate climate change.

study, published in journal Nature Communications, ted that changes in planet's geology caused largest temporary global warming of past 65 million years, based on scientists' calculation of how carbon-based greenhouse gas levels linked to movements of magma below Earth's surface.

researchers, including those from University of Birmingham in UK, said one such role in climate change could be played by Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) -- extremely large accumulations of rocks forming when magma traveled through crust towards surface.

y created a model of changes in carbon emissions during Paleocene-Eocene rmal Maximum (PETM) - a short interval of maximum temperature lasting around 100,000 years some 55 million years ago.

As part of study, researchers calculated greenhouse gas fluxes associated with rth Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) - one of Earth's largest LIPs that spans Britain, Ireland, rway and Greenland.

"We calculated carbon-based greenhouse gas fluxes associated with NAIP - linking measurements of process that generated magma with observations of individual geological structures that controlled gas emissions. se calculations suggest NAIP caused largest transient global warming of past 65 million years," said study co-author Stephen Jones, a lecturer at University of Birmingham.

"Large Igneous Provinces are linked to spikes of change in global climate, ecosystems and carbon cycle throughout Mesozoic time - coinciding with Earth's most devastating mass extinctions and oceans becoming strongly depleted of oxygen," he explained.

According to Jones, more measurements about planet's geology are required to reduce uncertainty range of emissions models.

simulations by researchers predicted that volcanic rocks part of NAIP could have initiated PETM climate change. 

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link between LIPs and changes in global climate during Mesozoic era suggests that greenhouse gases released directly by se rocks could initiate a domi effect of changes in Earth's environment which could persist over 10,000 to 100,000 years.

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According to researchers, PETM is largest natural climate change event of this era. 

y said it is an important yardstick for ories explaining current long-term increase in aver temperature of Earth's atmosphere as an effect of human industry and agriculture.

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During PETM, researchers ded, greenhouse gas emissions to ocean-atmosphere system drove 4-5 degrees Celsius of global warming in less than 20,000 years.