Transcript Snowball Earth! - Natural Climate Change

The Earth’s most radical climate change
Ivan Wiley
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Objective
 Understand the effects of Snowball Earth
 Cause and effects
 Natural vs. Anthropogenic Cause
 Comparing ppm in the past to see if that caused intense
glaciations and ending vs. modern ICCP states
 Natural cycle
 How effected life on earth
 From Pre-Ediacara life to Cambrian explosion
 Plate tectonics were huge role for climate change
 CO2 drawdown
 Misconception of CO2 caused global warming effect,
although scientists mentioned that was much higher in
the past.
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 “the·o·ry
Definition of Theory
 noun \ˈthē-ə-rē, ˈthir-ē\
 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
 : abstract thought : speculation
 : the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art.
 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action <her
method is based on the theory that all children want to learn> b : an ideal or
hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances —often used in the
phrase in theory <in theory, we have always advocated freedom for all>
 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles
offered to explain phenomena <the wave theory of light>
 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an
unproved assumption : conjecture c : a body of theorems presenting a concise
systematic view of a subject <theory of equations>"
 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theory
 However, scientific theories changes all the time.
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How Theory Works
 Assumption
 Make a guess
 Theory
 Test the hypothesis and investigate (a lot!)
 Scientific theories never works if just the assumptions.
 That is why ICCP never works although fear works for
millions of people. (Hey Al, please don’t try to scare us,
because it doesn’t work anymore.)
 All sciences are based on theories, not just a guess. You
have to test it to see if there are good correlations(patterns)
to the theories; not jump in conclusion.
 Finally, you have to prove that it is really true.
 However, the Snowball Earth is still a theory because it is
not finished with it.
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Origin of Snowball Earth Theory
 W. Brian Harland (1917-2003)created in 1964
 According to Chris Bauer & Ryan D’jay: “The premise of
this theory is that during the Pre-Cambrian era, the
continents resided near the Southern Hemisphere and
the inter planet was covered by Glacial Ice Sheets form
the Poles to the Equator.”

http://www.atmos.washington.edu/2009Q1/111/ATMS111%20Presentations/Folder%203/BauerC_Dja
yR.pdf
 Paul F. Hoffman (b.1941), a geologist carrying torch for
Harland’s theory.
 Worked on his field for more than 40 years.
 I’ve seen countless of websites, scientific journals, and other
sources from that he studies tirelessly on the theory as well
searching for evidences and he became very widely famous for
the Snowball Earth theory.
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New Evidence of SB Earth Theory
 Phosphorus nutrients helped speeds up the evolution
of underwater life. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027133146.htm)
 “A spike in ancient marine phosphorus concentration from 750
to 635 million years ago is linked to emergence of complex life.”
(http://yubanet.com/scitech/New-evidence-supports-Snowball-Earth-as-trigger-for-early-animalevolution.php
 Pushes Snowball Earth timeline earlier; however, they
are not sure since it is so new. (Kaigas)
 New recent precision of the date time of Sturtian.
 716.5 Mya
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100304-snowball-earth-ice-global-warming)
 Scientific theories change all the time.
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Some Dispute from the Theory
 Known as anomalous(deviation from normal)evidence
 “one of the present holes in the ‘Snowball’ Earth theory
are intervals in chemical weathering found during this
time period, which leads one to belief that there were
both warm and cold periods during the so called
‘Snowball’ Earth, which is not possible if the Earth was
completely frozen over.
 One of the other present details anomalous to the
‘Snowball’ Earth theory is the finding of complex
photosynthesizing organisms found in black shale rock
dating to this time period, which Alison Olcott believes
proves that there were some open areas of ocean at the
time.”
 Some call it “Mudball Earth” because of volcanic
eruptions dirtied the planet.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100304-snowball-earth-ice-global-warming
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/2009Q1/111/ATMS111%20Presentations/Folder%203/BauerC_DjayR.pdf
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Snowball Earth Definition
 It is a time of one of the most intense ice ages-up to four
episodes of climate changes.
 750-580 Mya
 Mile high Ice covered completely (or almost) on earth
 World-wide glaciations
 Pure White Earth
 “Eight hundred million years ago, during the
Neoproterozioc Era, Earth under went a monstrous ice age.
There is evidence of glacial ice in tropical latitudes, only 15o
to 30o north of equator. In our world, this would mean
glaciers as far south as Miami, Florida. Earth would have
looked like a different planet, with no open ocean and few
areas of exposed rock. Only ice and snow, an world of
almost pure white………”
 Hoffman, L. Doug & Simmons Allen. The Resilient Earth.
(Snowball Earth index) P75-76 & 83.
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Snowball Earth Process
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/03/snowball-earth-date-frozen-by-scientists/1
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Theories of Snowball Earth
 1) High Tilt Axis- 70 degrees and “preferential”
glaciation at low altitude.
 2) Extreme runaway glaciation due to ice reflection
from solar energy. (Albedo)
 3) Volcanic and plate tectonic at the same time that
caused glaciation.
 4) Lower solar luminosity.
 Six percent lower than now.

(Plimer p170)
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Galactic Spiral Arm Cycle
 Sagittarius-Carina Arm
 134 +-(give or take) 10 million years cycle

When the Solar System reach into the spiral galactic arm, they
are cooler. That’s one of the reason that the earth underwent
the cooling phase.
 (Hoffman & Simmons p167)
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Deep Distant Past
 First Ice age was about three billion years ago
(http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Paleoclimate )
 The first Snowball Earth was ~2.3 Billion years ago
 Known as Huronian glaciation
 Stromatolites were at the top species.
 Oxygen level risen
 Sky became blue (From: How the Earth was Made Video. History Channel)
 Plate tectonics
 Prokaryotes was dominated by Eukaryotes.
 Evidences of BIFs (Banded Iron Formations) all over
the world.
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Increase of Oxygen Timeline
http://cosmology.com/Cosmology3.html
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Correlations:Plate Tectonics
 “~3 billion years ago, Ur formed as the only continent
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on Earth.
~2.8 billion years ago, Ur was a part of the major
supercontinent Kenorland.
~2 billion years ago, Ur was a part of the major
supercontinent Columbia.
~1 billion years ago, Ur was a part of the major
supercontinent Rodinia.
~550 million years ago, Ur was a part of the major
supercontinent Pannotia.”
http://pediaview.com/openpedia/Ur_(continent)
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Contributions of CO2
through Plate Tectonics
 “As we can see, geologic processes contribute CO2
to the atmosphere by three main routes:
 1) Volcanism: outgassing of magmas formed in crust
and mantle
 2) Production of calcium carbonate: the precipitation of
calcium carbonate (part of the biological pump) also
releases CO2 to the atmosphere
 3) Metamorphism: CO2 is liberated when carbonate
minerals undergo metamorphism”
http://www.indiana.edu/~geol105b/1425chap8.htm
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Geological Timescale During
Neoproterozoic Glaciations
http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect20/A12c.html
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Why is it important to study?
 Because natural cause is always more powerful effect
life on earth (including human).
 Pushes life on earth to strive on a new environment
 Build ecosystems
 Life flourished while high CO2 and building further to
more complex ecosystems.

Plant first, then animal
 Without CO2, there would be no life on earth.
 Without Snowball Earth events, life expansion would
be much slower and human would not be here.
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Cause and Effect
 Plate tectonics cause a massive CO2 drawdown
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(reduce).
Albedo bounced heat back in space, thereby ice
became more permanent.
Massive volcanic eruption helped developed intense
greenhouse effect to prevent permanent ice age.
Life flourished after that
At least two huge and long glacial events
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Evidences all around the world
 Evidences of fossil species change
 Fossilized drop stones found worldwide: China,
Russia, Australia, Africa, North America, and others.
 Close to home: California, Death Valley National Park
 Formation: Panamint Range, Kingston Peak, Noonday
Dolomite
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Banded Iron Formation
http://www.snowballearth.org/slides/Ch3-5.jpg
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Avg. Global Temperature
 ~ -50 degrees C to 40 degrees C in variation of
icehouse/greenhouse event.
 Patterns:
 Evidences were found in BIF; Oxygen revolution then
CO2 increases.

Always in cycles.
 Fossilized glacial drop stones
http://www.snowballearth.org/end.html
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Avg. Snowball Earth Global Temp
http://www.snowballearth.org/end.html
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Rodinia Timeline
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Late Precambrian supercontinent
1.1 Bya Rodinia assemblage
750 Mya started to break up
600 Mya Pan-Africa orogeny (mountain building)
forming “new” continent Pannotia
 550 Mya Pannotia Breaking up several small fragments
 Laurentia (N. America)
 Baltica (N. Europe)
 Siberia
 Large piece (China, Africa, S. America, and Antarctica)
called Godwanda
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec98/913866772.Sh.r.html
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Evidences of Tectonic Regimes
http://www.snowballearth.org/slides/Ch13-7b.gif
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Neoproterozoic Glaciations Timeline
 Sturtian Glaciation Period ~750 to 710 MYA
 Varanger-Marinoa Glaciation Period ~630 to 600 MYA
 Sinian Period Glaciation ~600 MYA to 570 MYA
 Gaskiers Period Glaciation ~580 MYA
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/474302/Precambrian-time/69805/Orogenic-belts?anchor=ref585166
http://geol.queensu.ca/people/narbonne/NarbonneAREPS2005Final.pdf
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Comparing CO2: Past and Modern
 Scientist Bao mentioned that late Precambrian
glaciation was at the coldest in the past 750 million
years.
 Massive methane output(due to massive volcanic
activities).
 He stated that past CO2 was much higher in the Early
Cambrian than the later geological periods.
http://www.geol.lsu.edu/images/Features/nature%20article.pdf
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CO2 of the Geological Past
 PCO2 much higher than in the early Cambrian period than the
later geological periods.
 Neoproterozoic global glaciation was at the highest level.
 Their finding is “consistent” with the Snowball Earth hypothesis
and/or a massive methane release after the Marinoan glaciations.
 20 times higher in Early Cambrian period(4,200 ppm) than the late
Paleozoic or modern era.
 Marinoan glaciation immediately aftermath was at 12,000 ppm of
CO2 (highest Pco2 ever since 750 Mya)
 Two causes: 1) long term build up of volcanic CO2 in the
atmosphere up to ~350 times of the modern level. Then, the
albedo was being offset by the volcanic eruptions. 2) “A second
cause could be a catastrophic release of methane hydrates just
after a global deglaciation, which, on the oxidation of methane,
give rise to a high Pco2 level.”
http://www.geol.lsu.edu/images/Features/nature%20article.pdf
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Plate Tectonic Cause and Effect
 CO2 drawdown (reduction) was caused by plate tectonic.
 Massive loss of CO2 cause in reduction in greenhouse effect
turning earth into a giant snowball in space.
 Causes massive volcanic eruptions.
 Changes in sea levels.
 “Methane clathrate, also called methane hydrate, methane
ice or "fire ice" is a solid clathrate compound (more
specifically, a clathrate hydrate) in which a large amount of
methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water,
forming a solid similar to ice.”

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_Hydrate
 “A gas hydrate that contains methane as the guest
molecule; It occurs both in deep sedimentary structures,
and as outcrops on the ocean floor.”

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/methane_hydrate
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Last 600 Mya Avg. Global Temp:
There is no correlation
between CO2 and temperatures!
Hey Al, can you say there is no correlation between CO2 and temperatures?!
Temperature after C.R. Scotese http://www.scotese.com/climate.htm
CO2 after R.A. Berner, 2001 (GEOCARB III)
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Water Vapor
 Land mass were not as big as today and plants have not
reached to the land yet; therefore, there is no plant on
land to hold or collect water.
 Water vapor contributes or control the global
temperature.
 Water vapors controls 95% of global temperature
(greenhouse gas by volume).
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http://www.scotese.com
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Origin Animal Ecosystem Build-up
 Speed up of animal ecosystems started at Cryogenian
event before Ediacara
 Simple one celled species to multicelluar animals
 Extreme hot & cold climate pushed species to the edge
of survival.

However, it was also the CO2 that has helped life to strive
better.
 Changing climates speed up the evolution process.
 Several trials and errors of species build-up are
normal.
 For example, developing new kinds of body functions.
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Cryogenian Period
 ~850 to 635 Mya
 Simple milti-celluar species were microscopic before
having a complex body functions.

For example, eyes, brains, ears, and have not formed until
after the last Precambrian glaciations.
http://www.palaeos.org/Cryogenian
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Cryogenian Period
http://www.landesbioscience.com/curie/chapter/3751
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Vendian Period
 Both Precambrian and Vendian periods species
experienced at least one mass extinction.
 Up to 70% of predominant Precambrian species were
already being extinct.
 Have not had the hard shelled bodies and complex
organs yet.
http://park.org/Canada/Museum/extinction/venmass.html
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Ediacaran Species
 Later part of Vendian Period.
 After the Varangian glaciation was over, the rapid
warming.
 As a result, new kind of species took over the earth.
 Narbonne, a geologist, mentioned that the Ediacaran
animal biota was a failed experimental ecosystem
build-up.
 They were immobile, floating around the area near the ocean
to absorb sunlight for food.
 Free (or very few) of predators
 Although, Ediacaran species vanished from the fossil
records, some species are known to evolve to new
species.
http://www.livescience.com/animals/090204-first-animals.html
http://geol.queensu.ca/people/narbonne/NarbonneAREPS2005Final.pdf
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Fossil Localization
Ediacara Timeline
http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect20/A12c.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/474302/95798/Spriggina-fossil-from-theEdiacaran-Period-found-in-the-Ediacara
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Ediacara Fossil Species
http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect20/A12c.html
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Rising and Changing Species
 Volcanic eruption ensued to give room for Greenhouse
effects to warm up the Earth.
 Final global glaciation (Glaskiers) was over.
 Cambrian Explosion
 Burgess Shale in Canada(“Serengeti” animals in the past)
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Rises of the shelly fossils.
Predators were diversified extremely rapidly.
Some even theorized that the new species ate so much that
could cause the extinction of Ediacaran species, but they are
not sure.
Calcified (CaCO3) sea help developed hard shell for more
protection from other predators.
 Limestone-sea shells, coral, skeleton, etc.
http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/2360/phosphate-does-a-body-good
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Comparing the difference in a
mere ~ fifty million years apart.
Ediacara
http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/2360/phosphate-does-a-body-good
http://www.artsjournal.com/artopia/ptgbyD.W.%20Miller.jpg
Cambrian
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Conclusions
 Natural occurrences have more devastating effect on earth
and life came back better than before.
 Other word, life will find a way.
 For example, warmer temperature flourished life.
 Plate tectonic, Solar energy are a prime examples of a great
effects life on earth.
 There is no correlation to the CO2 and temperature. So
there are other factors that cause climate change.
 We are causing tiny effect(if so ever) on the CO2 today
compared to the deep geological past.
 High CO2 plays the role to huge spurt of life on earth, not
the danger to life.
 Without Snowball Earth, we would not be here.
 Science changes all the time over time.
 That is why called theories.
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Sources

Sources:
1. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theory> -Definition of Theory.

2.<http://www.atmos.washington.edu/2009Q1/111/ATMS111%20Presentations/Folder%203/BauerC_DjayR.pdf>. “The
Snowball Earth Theory” by Chris Bauer & Ryan D’jay.

3. University of California-Riverside. “New Evidence Supports ‘Snowball Earth’ as Trigger for Early Animal Evolution”
ScienceDaily 27 October 2010. 24 November 2010 .<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027133146.htm>.

4. Imperial College London. “New Evidence Puts ‘Snowball Earth’ Theory out In The Cold.” ScienceDaily 25 March
2007. 24 November 2010.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/r\elease/2007/03/070323104746.htm>.


5. <http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec98/913866772.Sh.r.html>. “Why isn’t Rodina called Pangea Anymore?”
Answered by Davis Smith, Ph.D., La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA.
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6. <http://www.palaeos.org/Cryogenian>. “Cryogenian”.

7. <http://www.palaeos.org/Ediacaran>. “Ediacaran”.
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8. <http://www.palaeos.org/Snowball_Earth>. “Cryogenian snowballs”

9. <http://www.livescience.com/animals/090204-first-animals.html>. “Oldest Fossil Evidence for Animals Found”.
Robin Lloyd, LiveScience Senior Editor posed on Feb. 4, 2009 at 1:00 pm ET.

10. Triple oxygen isotope evidence for elevated co2 levels after a Neoproterozioc glaciations” by Huiming Bao, J.R.
Lyons, & Chuanming Zhou. Nature May 2008. <http://www.geol.lsu.edu/images/Features/nature%20article.pdf>

11. “A ’snowball Earth’ climate triggered by continental break-up through changes in runoff”. By Yannick Donnadieu,
Yves Godderis, Gilles Ramtein, Anne Nedeliec & Joseph Meert. Nature March 16, 2004. www.nature.com/nature.
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