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Plankton's Role in Ice Ages Revealed by Scientists

11/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside identify a carbon-cycle feedback that could explain past ice ages.
Increased rainfall and nutrients boost plankton growth, which absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere.
When plankton die, they sink to ocean sediments, trapping carbon and potentially triggering an ice age.
The researchers warn natural cooling won’t offset current warming quickly, underscoring the need to limit warming.

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Story summary

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside identify a carbon-cycle feedback that could explain past ice ages.
Increased rainfall and nutrients boost plankton growth, which absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere.
When plankton die, they sink to ocean sediments, trapping carbon and potentially triggering an ice age.
The researchers warn natural cooling won’t offset current warming quickly, underscoring the need to limit warming.