VOLCANOES PLAYED PIVOTAL ROLE IN ANCIENT ICE AGE, MASS EXTINCTION

VOLCANOES PLAYED PIVOTAL ROLE IN ANCIENT ICE AGE, MASS EXTINCTION:

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Researchers here have discovered the pivotal role that volcanoes played in a deadly ice age 450 million years ago.

Perhaps ironically, these volcanoes first caused global warming -- by releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

When they stopped erupting, Earth’s climate was thrown off balance, and the ice age began.

The discovery underscores the importance of carbon in Earth’s climate today, said Matthew Saltzman, associate professor of earth sciences at Ohio State University.

The results will appear in the journal Geology, in a paper now available online."