Plate tectonic controls on atmospheric CO2levels since the Triassic

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1315657111
• Publication Date: 2014-03-11T01:34:20Z
• Authors: Douwe G. Van Der ...; Richard E. Zeebe; Douwe J. J. van H...; Appy Sluijs; Wim Spakman; Trond H. Torsvik
• Keywords: 13. Climate action; Taverne; paleoclimate; carbon cycle; SDG 13 - Climate Action; geodynamic; 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

SignificanceAlthough plate tectonics is generally considered to be the main contributor of CO2production, despite decades of paleoproxy and solid-earth research, this very first-order assumption remains unproven. Based on estimates of total subduction-zone lengths, from a combined analysis of seismic tomography models and plate tectonic reconstructions, we have bridged a major gap between solid-earth sciences and the atmosphere and biosphere sciences by providing understanding of one of the most fundamental controls of climate: variation of plate tectonic activity of our planet. By using the subduction zone length input into the GEOCARBSULF climate model, we obtain a better fit with atmospheric CO2proxies compared with previously used plate tectonic assumptions.