Evaluating the Relationship Between the Area and Latitude of Large Igneous Provinces and Earth’s Long-Term Climate State

Yuem Park, Nicholas L. Swanson-Hysell, Lorraine E. Lisiecki, Francis A. Macdonald

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

One of the hypothesized effects of large igneous provinces (LIPs) is planetary cooling on million-year timescales associated with enhanced silicate weathering of freshly emplaced basalt. This study combines reconstructions of the original surface extent and emplacement ages of LIPs, a paleogeographic model, and a parameterization of LIP erosion to estimate LIP area in all latitudinal bands through the Phanerozoic. This analysis reveals no significant correlation between total LIP area, nor LIP area in the tropics, and the extent of continental ice sheets. The largest peaks in tropical LIP area are at times of non-glacial climate. These results suggest that changes in planetary weatherability associated with LIPs are not the fundamental control on whether Earth is in a glacial or non-glacial climate, although they could provide a secondary modulating effect in conjunction with other processes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationLarge Igneous Provinces
Subtitle of host publicationA Driver of Global Environmental and Biotic Changes
PublisherWiley
Pages153-168
Number of pages16
ISBN (Electronic)9781119507444
ISBN (Print)9781119507451
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Co-published 2021 by the American Geophysical Union and John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Keywords

  • Earth’s long-term climate state
  • Large igneous provinces
  • Latitudinal bands
  • Non-glacial climate
  • Paleogeographic model
  • Paleolatitude
  • Parameterization

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