Study: CO2 levels likely to be higher than at any time in last 3.3 million years

A research conducted by the scientists from University of Southampton has estimated that the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) will hit the record level like the warmest period of the Pliocene epoch about 3.3 million years ago by 2025 if emission were not controlled. The study was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports on July 11 revealed that the carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere was nearing levels not witnessed in 15 million years by the hominoid.  

Within the span of approximately five years, the atmospheric CO2 is expected to cross the threshold of 427 parts per million, to times when the temperature of the Earth was 3C to 4C hotter and sea levels were 20 meters higher, the scientists claimed in the research. Further, the researchers stated that by 2025 the atmosphere would undergo similar changes as around the time human ancestors were thought to have diverged from orangutans and became recognizably hominoid. 

Ice sheets today haven’t had a chance to catch up with CO2 forcing. We are burning through the Pliocene and heading towards a Miocene-like future, said another author, Gavin Foster, a professor of isotope geochemistry at the University of Southampton. We now have to go further back in time to find situations that are relevant, he added.

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Future of how the Earth might respond

Co-author of the paper, Thomas Chalk said, “A striking result we’ve found is that the warmest part of the Pliocene had between 380 and 420 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere.” He added, “This is similar to today’s value of around 415 parts per million, showing that we are already at levels that in the past were associated with temperature and sea-level significantly higher than today.”

Researchers cited the study’s significance saying that the findings illustrated the future of how the Earth might respond to loads of greenhouse gases from the past two centuries of industrial emissions. International collaboration coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization and led by the UK’s Met Office revealed temperature increase in annually updated five-year climate prediction, citing the study.  

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(All Images Credit: University of Southampton Release)