. Scientists discovered fossils of prehistoric forests that date back to 380 millions years ago. These could have led to a dramatic reduction in CO2 levels by hundreds of thousands of years. Researchers from Cardiff University, Wales, and University of Southampton, England published their findings in Geology. Professor John Marshall and Dr. Chris Berry discovered the fossil forests with the tree stumps still in place in Svalbard. This archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean, between Norway and Scandinavia. These fossils of prehistoric forests could help to explain the dramatic drop in CO2 levels hundreds of thousands of years ago. Image: Cardiff University. Dr. Berry from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences identified and described the fossils. Professor Marshall from the University of Southampton’s National Oceanography Centre accurately dated these forests to 380 millions years ago. What caused the dramatic drop in CO2 levels? It is possible that the 15-fold decrease in atmospheric CO2 levels around the Devonian period could be explained by the forests which were located close to the Equator. Researchers believe that there was an abrupt drop in atmospheric CO2 during the Devonian period (420 through 360 millions years ago. This is due to a shift in the vegetation, from tiny plants to large trees. Photosynthesis is believed to have taken CO2 from the atmosphere. Although large trees initially absorbed more radiation from the sun, the Earth’s surface temperature eventually dropped to the same level as today due to lower atmospheric CO2. The equatorial forests are likely to be responsible for most of the CO2 loss. This is due to the high temperatures and heavy rainfall at the equator. Svalbard, which was at the equator around that time, was the site of most CO2 drop. This occurred before the Arctic Ocean’s tectonic plates moved northward by 80deg. Dr. Berry stated that “these fossil forests show us what the vegetation was like on the Equator millions years ago, when the first trees began to appear on Earth.” Scientists discovered that Svalbard’s forests were mainly composed of lycopods, which are better-known for their ability to grow in coal swamps, where they eventually became coal deposits like the ones in South Wales. Dr. Berry reported with colleagues that forests were dense and had tiny gaps between trees – 20 cm (7.9 in). The average height of trees was 4 metres feet. Dr. Berry stated that trees averaged 4 metres (13 feet) in height. Marshall. Geology. DOI: 10. 1130/G37000.1.
The past CO2 decrease may have come from prehistoric forests
