The problem of the warm biosphere

• Main Author: Chumakov, N. M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 1995
• Subjects: Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/52392/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/52392/1/Chumakov,%20N.%20M.pdf

The alternation of two major climatic types, the glacial and nonglacial, in the Phanerozoic history of the Earth is well-documented at present. These climates affected the state of the biosphere to such an extent that cool (glacial) and warm (nonglacial) biospheres can be distinguished. The main features of the cool biosphere can be determined from its state at present and during the Pleistocene. The cool biosphere is characterized by features such as the following: permanent glacial or ice polar caps, occasional glacial covers or permafrost occurrences in the temperate labtudes, an oceanic psychrosphere, low temperature and intense circulation in the atmosphere and hydrosphere, low oceanic level, high rates of erosion and sedimentation, a low concentration of atmospheric carbon doxide, contrasting climate and landscape zonation, clearly pronounced biogeographic and ecological differentiation, rapid fluctuations of the above features, frequent biotic crises, and so on. Evidently, the warm biosphere exhibited different characteristics, perhaps even opposite to those of the cold biosphere. However, our understanding of the properties of the warm biosphere is far from being clear and complete, even though this type of biosphere has sharply prevailed in geological history. Defining these properties is a principal goal of historical geological and ecological studies . When solved, this problem will be of prognostic and general methodic importance for the earth sciences, allowing the applicability of the actualistic method to be specified.