“Did asteroids really wipe out the dinosaurs? Scientists* now think rising sea-levels were to blame – and they could threaten our survival too.”
So what led to the rise and fall in sea levels? One explanation is the shift in the Earth’s tectonic plates. The other is climate change. Over the past 500 million years, ice sheets have been forming, advancing, melting and retreating. These vast perturbations in climate change were produced by shifts in Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Geologists say this is natural and normal: we are in a cold phase right now.
However, as we know, after the death of the dinosaurs, one species came to dominate the planet – and it is warming the earth up rather rapidly. The 20th century saw the greatest increase in temperature of any century in the last thousand years. The last decade has been the warmest since records began. “The rate at which we’re changing the climate is unusual,” Peters says, with scientific reticence. “The only similar rate and magnitude of global warming seen in the fossil record was 55 million years ago. Something caused massive amounts of carbon dioxide to be injected into the atmosphere and dramatically altered the climate.”
My guess? Either Bush, or Joooooos, or (most likely) a combination.
*by which I mean a scientist
Marine Families Hard Hit by Extinctions
Extinctions that shaped our planet
Cretaceous-Tertiary, 65 million years ago
Thought to have been aggravated by the impact of large asteroid on the Yucatan peninsula, it led to the death of 16 per cent of marine families and 47 per cent of marine genera, and 18 per cent of land vertebrate families, including the dinosaurs.End of the Triassic, 200-214 million years ago
This extinction was aggravated by a supervolcano that triggered a rise in sea levels and global temperatures. The death toll included 22 per cent of marine families and 52 per cent of marine genera.End of the Permian, 250 million years ago
Earth’s worst mass extinction, annihilating 95 per cent of all species, including 53 per cent of marine families, 84 per cent of marine genera and 70 per cent of land species such as plants, insects and vertebrate animals.Late Devonian, 364 million years ago
About 22 per cent of marine families and 57 per cent of marine genera were lost.Ordovician-Silurian, 439 million years ago
Sea levels fell as glaciers formed, and then rose as glaciers melted, resulting in the extinction of 25 per cent of marine families and 60 per cent of marine genera.
Semper fi!
Comment by Pablo on 7/23 @ 11:16 am #
Science! Blech.
Comment by dicentra on 7/23 @ 11:22 am #
we are in a cold phase right now.
Zeus on a zamboni. The cold phase involves a BIT MORE SEA ICE than we currently have, ya moron. The last time we were in an actual cold phase, 10,000 years ago, the place where I am now sitting was under 1000 feet of water.
Cold phase, my pasty white elbow. An increase of 1°C per century is NORMAL when you’re emerging from the latest ice age.
I’ve had it with the WARMongers. Off to Antarctica with them, if they can’t take the “heat.”
Comment by happyfeet on 7/23 @ 11:26 am #
It’s already rare to see large blue butterflies, badgers and bee orchids.
Also, muskrats.
Comment by dicentra on 7/23 @ 11:27 am #
Or in other words,
NASA Discovers 70% Of Global Climate Due To Pacific Ocean Oscillations – Not CO2
Which we’ve known for decades, but post-modern science is determined to make us stupider than before.
BECAUSE OF THE PROGRESS!
Comment by N. O'Brain on 7/23 @ 11:32 am #
“Also, muskrats.”
Are they in love?
Comment by Dan Collins on 7/23 @ 11:33 am #
Please. I can’t think of The Captain without a shudder.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 7/23 @ 11:35 am #
Actually, global temps are falling.
A wonderful site:
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/
That sound you hear is Al Gore’s Gravy Train leaving the station.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 7/23 @ 11:36 am #
Tenille? No thrill up MY leg.
Comment by kelly on 7/23 @ 11:37 am #
We’re all GONNA DIE!!!!
Comment by N. O'Brain on 7/23 @ 11:38 am #
hf, did you see this the other day?
http://picasaweb.google.com/mayadbee/Public/photo#5225616269172865522
Comment by JD on 7/23 @ 11:43 am #
I thought Baracky already stopped the oceans from rising.
Comment by happyfeet on 7/23 @ 11:47 am #
Yes, I saw the bunny. I was deeply affected. It is the soul of imperturbability I think. Very humbling.
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 12:00 pm #
…”Peters says, with scientific reticence.”
Ok, I know what ’scientific’ means. After Googling, I now know what ‘reticence’ means. But, wtf is an opinion given with ’scientific reticence?’
Is the author saying Peters flunked highschool chemistry, failed a polygragh? What?
The next time I fuck up at work, I’m going to tell my boss I made that particular decision with ’scientific reticence.’
He played football in college, so I think those two words right next to eachother will scare the shit out of him.
Yeah, it’ll work.
I love this site.
Comment by Big Bang Hunter (pumping you up) on 7/23 @ 12:02 pm #
- You just can’t imagine how impressive it is that “group Left” has discovered that the earths climate changes. Thats got to be worth at least a Nobel.
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 12:10 pm #
“Something caused massive amounts of carbon dioxide to be injected into the atmosphere”…
(raises hand)
Solar spike? Comet? Meteor? Lots of volcano activity? A super volcano? 500 million, giant, multi ton reptile like creatures taking HUGE daily, methane shits the size of volkswagens?
Professor Peters?
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 12:15 pm #
Because I know at some point we’ve all had to yell, ‘GET THAT DINOSAUR OFF MY LAWN!’
‘Haven’t you read Peters!?…that triceritops is messin’ up my breatheables. He can go shit in his own yard.’
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 12:20 pm #
With that, I think I just wrote a script for ‘Squidbillies.’
Comment by Lost My Cookies on 7/23 @ 1:14 pm #
I think it’s racist to believe dinosaurs don’t swim. they do. And they ski and play hockey too.
You bastards.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 7/23 @ 1:23 pm #
Ericlindrosaurus.
From the Latin for “soft headed lizard”.
Comment by TheGeezer on 7/23 @ 2:00 pm #
But can they play hockey underwater?
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 2:04 pm #
Comment by Lost My Cookies on 7/23 @ 1:14 pm #
I think it’s racist to believe dinosaurs don’t swim. they do. And they ski and play hockey too.
You bastards.
The Brontosaurus had a 47′ foot schlong.
Just like Barack.
All this dinosaur acting out is just democrat envy on my part.
Comment by McGehee on 7/23 @ 2:09 pm #
I thought we already knew what killed off the dinosaurs.
Secondhand smoke.
Comment by Obstreperous Infidel on 7/23 @ 2:32 pm #
Um, the last decade has not been the warmest. I second reading Wattsupwiththat.com. A great site, indeed.
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 2:33 pm #
“I thought we already knew what killed off the dinosaurs.
Secondhand smoke.”
I’ve watched ‘Caveman’ many, many times, and I don’t remember Ringo lighting up.
But ‘Lar’ has been a smoker forever, so I guess your theory holds water.
Comment by BJTex on 7/23 @ 2:37 pm #
McGehee is channeling “The Far Side” methinks.
or not
Comment by McGehee on 7/23 @ 2:54 pm #
Or maybe it was negative campaigning.
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 2:55 pm #
“McGehee is channeling “The Far Side†methinks.”
Well a link to Gary Larson would have done wonders.
It’s been a crappy hump day.
Comment by william on 7/23 @ 2:58 pm #
You mean to tell me that the earth’s climate has warmed and cooled for HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS? Why I never…
Comment by BJTex on 7/23 @ 3:08 pm #
Sorry, Lamont. I couldn’t find a picture of the original cartoon of the “Smoking Dinosaurs.”
Comment by mojo on 7/23 @ 3:31 pm #
Don’t forget the “Rise of the Oxygen Producing Algae” some 1.5 billion years back.
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 3:34 pm #
“Sorry, Lamont. I couldn’t find a picture of the original cartoon of the “Smoking Dinosaurs.â€Â
Your forgiven.
If you come across a picture of some boobs or something, send it my way.
In the ‘Seven Days’ creation theory, I think Wednesday was the day God made the platapus.
It was a, ‘SCREW OFF, ALL OF YOU. I’M TIRED’ kinda thing.
But He got his second wind Thursday, and created the genes that would someday form Pamela Anderson (circa Baywatch), and single malt scotch.
The above being the two reasons I go to church.
But I don’t tell the pastor that.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 7/23 @ 3:45 pm #
The last time we were in an actual cold phase, 10,000 years ago, the place where I am now sitting was under a mile of ice.
Things change – and I didn’t need a science degree to know that!
Tenille? No thrill up MY leg.
I think the platypus was God saying “Watch this – I’m going to drive them nuts figuring THIS one out!”
But He got his second wind Thursday, and created the genes that would someday form Pamela Anderson (circa Baywatch), and single malt scotch.
Civilization was worth it, despite mistakes such as David Hasselhoff.
She was cute back in the day.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 7/23 @ 3:46 pm #
The “She was cute back in the day” should go under the Tenille quote.
Comment by McGehee on 7/23 @ 4:10 pm #
Trans-fats…?
Comment by Dan Collins on 7/23 @ 4:12 pm #
Obviously, you are not a muskrat. SIR.
Comment by McGehee on 7/23 @ 4:17 pm #
DISCO!
Comment by Lamontyoubigdummy on 7/23 @ 4:31 pm #
“DISCO!”
A Republican 527 ad with Tony Manero? I dunno…
…Nah. Bigger fish to fry.
Tempura.
I’m gonna go get something to eat.
Comment by SevenEleventy on 7/23 @ 5:34 pm #
You guys keep reminding me of the seventies, and I’m not going to take responsibility for my comments.
Comment by Patrick Carroll on 7/23 @ 6:01 pm #
Marines! They give, and they give, and they give!
Comment by Mikey NTH on 7/23 @ 6:09 pm #
7/11ty
The seventies were a hard time for all – the time when the response to WTF? was “It’s cool”, and kids learned about decorum by watching old movies on UHF when they were home from school and ill.
I remember sitting home and watching ‘Bill Kennedy at the Movies’ on WKBD 50 in Detroit, and seeing how adults used to dress and behave, and thinking “Is this what grown-ups look like? Why don’t I see any?”
Confusing when you are seven years old. Perhaps adults shouldn’t dress like larger kids? Or let children call them by their first names?
Comment by Mikey NTH on 7/23 @ 6:12 pm #
#39 Patrick – It is usually ’rounds down range’ for the giving.
Unless you are talking Toys for Tots.
Comment by Bleepless on 7/23 @ 7:24 pm #
You are very naive. Everybody knows that Bush is a reel maroon and can’t plot anything. Get smart and blame Karl Rove.
Comment by McGehee on 7/23 @ 10:03 pm #
Karl Rove invented disco?