Story perspectives

Ancient Climate Crisis Mirrors Today's Rapid CO2 Surge

1/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Biologist Mei Nelissen reports that during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), about 56 million years ago, Earth warmed rapidly.
Sediment from the Norwegian Sea shows conifer forests vanished within 300 years of CO2 rise, replaced by ferns.
The PETM period experienced intensified forest fires and erosion, increasing clay content in sediments.
Current CO2 emissions are rising two to ten times faster than during the PETM, signaling potential similar disruptions.

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Story summary

Biologist Mei Nelissen reports that during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), about 56 million years ago, Earth warmed rapidly.
Sediment from the Norwegian Sea shows conifer forests vanished within 300 years of CO2 rise, replaced by ferns.
The PETM period experienced intensified forest fires and erosion, increasing clay content in sediments.
Current CO2 emissions are rising two to ten times faster than during the PETM, signaling potential similar disruptions.