London, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A new study released by the University of Leeds in the UK on July 9 shows that temperatures during the warmer periods of the Earth's Phanerozoic era may have been lower than previously thought, and this conclusion helps to gain a deeper understanding of the future temperature trends on Earth.

An international team of researchers from institutions such as the University of Leeds has used a new measurement method to reconstruct the temperature changes on Earth since the Phanerozoic era. The Phanerozoic is the newest of the four epochs in the highest geological age unit, which began about 540 million years ago and continues to this day. During this period, complex life evolved rapidly and biodiversity greatly increased.

The team used chemical alteration index to analyze the loss of easily weathered elements in rock samples, and combined tens of thousands of relevant data and climate model simulations to reconstruct past global temperatures. Research shows that geological processes such as rock weathering that consume carbon dioxide help regulate Earth's temperature over millions of years, enabling the biosphere to continue evolving. Research suggests that the average temperature during warm periods since the Phanerozoic era on Earth may have been about 10 degrees Celsius higher than before industrialization, although higher than today, but lower than previous estimates.

The study also found that the long-term climate sensitivity of the Earth may be lower than some recent research suggests. Climate sensitivity is an indicator of the degree of temperature change on Earth after an increase in carbon dioxide concentration.

The relevant research paper has been published in the journal Nature Communications in the UK. One of the corresponding authors of the paper, Professor Benjamin Mills from the University of Leeds, said that people must recognize that the formation process of climate during the Earth's past warm periods was very slow and may not have been as hot as previously thought. Research has shown that the Earth's natural regulatory system operates slowly, and humans must actively engage in climate regulation to maintain the Earth within a habitable range.

Editor: Wu Zhengsi

(Author Xinhua Finance)