The leaf annals: fossil foliage puts scientists on the scent of ancient air. (scientists use fossilized leaves to study changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide)

From: Science News | Date: August 28, 1993| Author: | Copyright information

It is the breath of the planet. Volcanoes exhale it in flaming belches, while plants and eroding rocks quietly suck it out of the air, ultimately storing it underground.

Carbon dioxide flows into and out of the Earth so much that its atmospheric concentration hardly remains constant. Over millions of years, it varies whenever the planet's metabolism kicks into high gear or downshifts. Over much shorter time spans, carbon dioxide concentrations rise and fall in concert with modulations of ocean currents or vegetation patterns. On top of such natural cycles, humans have ...

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