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If Current Carbon Dioxide Emission Trends Continue, Shells of Marine Organisms Will Start Dissolving in Some Parts of the Ocean Sometime Around Mid-Century

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Geochemistry Pop Quiz 2 - 20/3/2013

Niall Smith - SF Earth Science

1) On what evidence is the statement “If current carbon dioxide emission trends continue, shells of marine organisms will start dissolving in some parts of the ocean sometime around mid-century” supported? Provide a short explanation and what you think are the two most relevant literature references illustrating your point.

The scientific evidence which supports this statement originates from two distinct categorical sources - historical scientific evidence, and present day observations and corresponding scientific projections or estimates. The historical scientific evidence in question consists of observations of the fossil record around the time of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary mass extinction event (65MYA). There is an observed vacancy or gap of the presence of carbonate shells at the end of the Cretaceous period in the fossil record, that were hugely abundant during the Cretaceous. This coincides with a meteor hitting the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and causing the renown mass extinction. The geology of this peninsula in Mexico is dominantly cretaceous chalk, and on impact, heat and pressure from the collision released large amounts of gaseous sulfurous compounds (Caldeira, 2007). The mixture of gas, soot, ash and dust released in this enormous impact blocked the sun for possibly up to several months and profoundly interrupted insolation - the incoming solar radiation. This caused the extinction of plants and mammals, and any mammal species larger than a cat, including dinosaurs, were totally annihilated. More significantly noteworthy however, is the corresponding marine species extinction and the collapse of many marine ecosystems at this time. Sulfur dioxide released from the impact formed sulphuric acid clouds in the earths atmosphere. On precipitation, this caused a huge surge

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