Scientists Identify Ocean Nutrient Feedback Linked to Ancient Ice Ages

Scientists Identify Ocean Nutrient Feedback Linked to Ancient Ice Ages
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Scientists have identified a previously overlooked process in Earth’s carbon cycle that may help explain how extreme ice ages formed, Gadgets 360 reported. Researchers found that rising temperatures can increase nutrient-rich runoff from land into the oceans, stimulating plankton growth that captures large amounts of carbon and stores it in marine sediments, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

As plankton decay, oxygen levels in the water drop, allowing phosphorus to be recycled more efficiently. This recycling fuels further plankton blooms, strengthening the carbon burial process and potentially driving global temperatures lower than before.

Computer simulations suggest this feedback could have triggered dramatic cooling events, particularly during periods of low atmospheric oxygen in Earth’s early history. The findings indicate that ocean nutrient feedbacks may amplify climate shifts beyond the stabilizing effects of rock weathering, helping to explain some of the planet’s most severe ancient ice ages.