Large Methane Release Could Cause Abrupt Climate Change As Happened 635 Million Years Ago
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 20:28
in Earth & Climate
An abrupt release of methane about 635 million years ago from ice sheets caused a dramatic shift in climate, triggering a series of events that effectively ended the last "snowball" ice age. Methane clathrate destabilization acted as a runaway feedback to increased warming, and was the tipping point that ended the last snowball Earth.