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[OM] Re: OT Probably controversial

Subject: [OM] Re: OT Probably controversial
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:39:18 -0500
Well, check this paper by Rothman of MIT. 
<http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/99/7/4167>
Figure 4 in this paper shows an estimate of CO2 concentrations for the 
past 500 million years along with the warm and cold periods.

A couple of quotes:
"Fig. 4 reveals that CO2 levels have mostly decreased for the last 175 
My. Prior to that point they appear to have fluctuated from about two to 
four times modern levels with a dominant period of about 100 My."

"The most recent cool period corresponds to relatively low CO2 levels, 
as is widely expected (30). However, no correspondence between pCO2 and 
climate is evident in the remainder of the record, in part because the 
apparent 100 My cycle of the pCO2 record does not match the longer 
climatic cycle."

Plainly put, there isn't any apparent correlation of the data through 
geologic time.  In fact, if you want to cherry pick your numbers and 
take only the peak concentrations you'd probably find a negative 
correlation.

What does this isolated paper prove?  Nothing except that all of the 
data doesn't agree with the hypothesis and all of the ducks aren't lined 
up in a row.

Chuck Norcutt


Johann Thorsson wrote:
> Sorry - it was not intentional.  I seem to recollect that according to most
> recent data (think this comes from Malcolm Hughes, you can listen to him on
> the podcast), the CO2 conc. is approaching the highest levels ever known to
> have occurred. 

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