Questions With Correct Answers
What other consequences were observed? - ANSWER -Mammals
shrank in size due to heat stress, ocean acidity increased, resulting in
dissolution of animal and foraminera shells, more intense storms
resulted in more erosion and loss of soil fertility, and rainfall became
more variable and resulted in more frequent flooding and droughts.
How much faster is the warming pattern today compared to the PETM? -
ANSWER -100x times faster today than the PETM.
What can observing what occured 56 million years ago do for us? -
ANSWER -It can help us understand what can happen today as a result
of global warming.
What do we reconstruct ancient temperatures through? - ANSWER -Ice
cores, tree rings, and a variety of other "proxies" and patterns that reflect
the temperature.
What's different with the temperature change we witness today? -
ANSWER -It is far greater than both the background temperature
change and during the Paleocene- Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)
What showed fewer plants with toothed leaves during the PETM? -
ANSWER -Data
What occured given the warmer temperatures during that time? -
ANSWER -Plants with toothed leaves migrated to cooler temperatures
near the Earth's poles.