Onset and ending of the late Palaeozoic ice age triggered by tectonically paced rock weathering

by Yves Goddéris et al., April 10, 2017, Nature Geoscience


The onset of the late Palaeozoic ice age about 340 million years ago has been attributed to a decrease in atmospheric CO2 concentrations associated with expansion of land plants, as plants both enhance silicate rock weathering—which consumes CO2—and increase the storage of organic carbon on land. However, plant expansion and carbon uptake substantially predate glaciation