Study Reveals Earth's Natural Thermostat Regulating Climate for 60 Million Years
A recent study has uncovered a natural mechanism that has regulated Earth's climate over the past 60 million years. Researchers, including Zunli Lu from Syracuse University and Ros Rickaby from the University of Oxford, have identified a connection between sea levels, phosphate availability, and carbon burial in ocean sediments. This process has played a crucial role in maintaining Earth's temperature within a range suitable for life. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights how changes in sea level influenced the availability of phosphate, a nutrient essential for marine life, which in turn affected the burial of organic carbon and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The research suggests that during periods of high sea levels, phosphate was trapped in shallow sediments, reducing marine productivity and carbon burial, leading to higher atmospheric carbon dioxide. Conversely, lower sea levels increased phosphate availability, enhancing marine growth and carbon ... 
