Cracking the Climate Code: Scientists Unearth Clues From 380 Million Years Ago

Rocks undergo transformations over millions of years, but they still hold valuable information about the climate during their formation.
Fluids circulating underground gradually alter rocks over time. These processes must be considered when using rocks as climate archives. Dr. Mathias Müller from the Sediment and Isotope Geology research group at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, along with international colleagues, has detailed which climate information remains preserved in 380-million-year-old limestones from Hagen-Hohenlimburg.

What’s more, his analyses allow him to draw conclusions about how suitable the rock is today for deep geothermal use. The results of his research have been published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta on July 1, 2024.