Evolution Just Full of Hot Air

In Regards to NATURE, v. 428, 15 April '04, pp. 736-738,

"A lower limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide levels 3.2 billion years ago." Not too much here for us as far as I can tell, but any attempt to characterize the atmosphere during this imaginary time when, according to the myth, life was still in its infancy, is something we should keep an eye on.

And it does hint that there's still a problem with evolutionary excuses for ignoring the young, faint sun problem. From the abstract: "Climate models have focused on carbon dioxide as the greenhouse gas responsible for maintaining above-freezing surface temperatures during a time of low solar luminosity.

However, the analysis of 2.75-billion-year (Gyr)-old paleosols...have recently provided an upper constraint on atmoshperic carbon dioxide levels well below that required..." So they were still stuck with a freezing earth. The proposed solution was that other gasses made up the difference. These researchers found "iron-rich carbonate" in even "older" rocks indicating carbon dioxide levels were "several times higher than present-day values," but even so, "Unless actual carbon dioxide levels were considerably greater than this, climate models predict that additional greenhouse gases would still need to have a role in maintaining above-freezing surface temperatures."

Near the end of the report, the researchers say their results indicate that, if the current models are correct, "our modelling defines an unusual geologic environment" in which several minears "were highly unstable. On the other hand, if the Earth's near-surface and weathering environment...was buffered by near-equilibrium between [iron]-rich carbonate and common clay minerals, there is approximately two orders of magnitude discrpancy..."

That is, their data could accomodate carbon dioxide levels 100 times too low for the carbon-dioxide-greenhouse model, which would leave an awful lot of insulation to be done by other gases.


Until Next Time,

David Bump
Philippians 3: 13 Brethren, I
count not myself to have
apprehended: but [this] one thing
[I do], forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are
before, 14 I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.

http://home.att.net/~david.bump