Drilling 3,200m deep, found 50,000 year old object that 'prophesied' the most painful thing about the future of humanity

The past is teaching us valuable lessons!

In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS) , scientists from Oregon State University have determined that the current rate of natural CO2 increase on Earth is fastest in the last 50,000 years.

To do this, the team exploited air bubbles trapped in ice cores on the West Antarctic Ice Shelf (WAIS). Basically, this is where relatively stable temperatures were recorded during the Middle Holocene (the Holocene is a geological epoch that began about 11,700 years ago and continues today).

A slice from the WAIS ice core. (Photo: Katherine Stelling, Oregon State University, USA).

The research team had to drill about 3,200 meters deep to get enough ancient ice dating back to about 50,000 years ago. Researchers then looked for chemicals trapped in old ice to learn about past climates.

After conducting extensive chemical analysis, researchers have discovered how extreme and unusual the current rising _CO2 levels that are driving our current climate crisis are compared to remains of Earth's recent geologic history.

CO ₂ is increasing at record levels

Specifically, the rate of increase in CO ₂ in the atmosphere today is 10 times faster than at any other time in the past 50,000 years , researchers have discovered through detailed chemical analysis of Antarctic ice. ancient.

'Studying the past teaches us how different today is. The current rate of CO ₂ change is truly unprecedented. The rate of natural increase in CO ₂ this century is the fastest ever observed, largely due to human emissions' - Kathleen Wendt, assistant professor in the School of Earth Sciences, University of Ocean and Atmosphere of Oregon State University, lead author of the study, said.

Carbon dioxide, or CO ₂ , is a greenhouse gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. When CO ₂ enters the atmosphere, it contributes to climate warming due to the greenhouse effect. In the past, these levels have fluctuated due to ice age cycles and other natural causes, but today they are increasing due to human emissions.

According to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy-related CO ₂ emissions are set to increase by 1.1% by 2023, to reach a new record high of 37.4 billion tonnes of CO ₂ . Of these, emissions from coal account for more than 65% of the increase in 2023.

CO ₂ is the main greenhouse gas emitted by humans during production, living, and transportation. (Illustration photo: Chris Leboutillier/Pexels).

Using samples from ice cores on the West Antarctic Ice Shelf, Kathleen Wendt and colleagues investigated what was happening during the last Ice Age. They identified a model that shows these CO ₂ spikes that occurred alongside North Atlantic cold spells known as Heinrich Events were linked to sudden climate changes around the world.

Scary "picture of the future".

Normally - that is, when humans do not massively emit greenhouse gases from manufacturing activities, transportation, agriculture, etc. The Earth will experience a periodic increase in CO ₂ concentration due to an effect known as called the Heinrich Event.

Named after the German marine geologist Hartmut Heinrich, these events coincided with a cold snap in the North Atlantic caused by icebergs breaking off from the Laurentide ice sheet. This causes a kind of chain reaction that leads to a change in global climate patterns.

The miserable flood scene of a family devastated by floodwaters in the Githurai area in Nairobi, Kenya, April 24, 2024. (Photo: AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi).

Christo Buizert, co-author of the study, said in a press release: 'We think the Heinrich Event was caused by a dramatic collapse of the North American ice sheet. This sets off a chain reaction that includes changes to the tropical monsoon, the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds and large releases of CO ₂ from the oceans.'

During the period of the greatest natural increase, CO ₂ increased by about 14 parts per million in 55 years. And these jumps happen about every 7,000 years. At the current rate, that level of increase will only take 5 to 6 years.

Other research suggests that these Southern Hemisphere westerly winds will become stronger over the next century due to climate change. If that happens, the researchers note, it would reduce the Southern Ocean's ability to absorb man-made _{CO2 .}

At that time, the planet will be flooded with CO2 _- one of the powerful greenhouse gases causing global warming. The consequences of this will be very serious. For example, the Earth will experience more heat waves with greater frequency and intensity; Rising temperatures also cause ice to melt strongly, causing sea levels to rise, storms and floods will occur frequently, accompanied by droughts and floods everywhere.

In Statista 's Global Natural Disaster Deaths 2000-2023 report , approximately 95,000 deaths were reported due to natural disasters worldwide in 2023 alone. This is a record high number since 2010. Total economic losses caused by natural disasters worldwide in 2023 will reach 380 billion USD.

As climate change increases the risk of more extreme events, the pain of human and material loss still pains the world.