Caltech Study: CO2 At Highest Level in 15 Million Years

Environment | Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 8:52:28 pm PDT

A new study by Caltech scientists led by geochemist Aradhna Tripati shows that there hasn’t been this much carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere for at least 15 Million Years.

“The last time carbon dioxide levels were apparently as high as they are today and were sustained at those levels, global temperatures were five to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are today, sea level was approximately 75 to 120 feet higher than today, and there was no permanent sea ice cap in the Arctic and very little ice on Antarctica and Greenland,” says Tripati, whose team included Caltech postdoc Robert Eagle. To read the complete report, go to Science online.