EARTH AND THE OCEANS ARE WARMING UP

The oceans and the atmosphere are closely linked. 

The climate shapes life in the oceans and, at the same time, ocean currents and water temperature have a direct impact on the atmosphere. Marine sediments and fossils provide a valuable geological record that allows us to piece together the history of the Earth’s climate.

56 million years ago, Earth experienced some of the most extreme climate warming in its history, and it was also due to the greenhouse effect. The warming lasted for about 100,000 years and the temperature rose by between 5°C and 9°C. Earth’s climate zones changed and species either had to migrate or adapt.

In this space you will learn about the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) that occurred 56 million years ago and journey to Antarctica to see how recent climate changes are recorded in the ice.