Reflecting on a World in Ruin: Lessons from a Wasteland

### Fast Summary

– The Kilroot mine in Northern Ireland reveals vast salt deposits formed during the Pangaea supercontinent era, showcasing massive caverns composed entirely of salt.
– Earth’s Permian period (299 to 252 million years ago) saw tropical Pangaea transformed into a hot, barren “hellscape” with temperatures reaching up to 163°F and acidic lakes with negative pH levels.- Extreme aridity and the lack of significant rainfall disrupted rock weathering, crucial for balancing Earth’s carbon cycle by burying volcanic CO₂.
– Weathering became ineffective due to exhausted soils on aged rocks and flattened terrains. This failed geological “climate guardrail” contributed significantly to carbon buildup in the atmosphere and planetary warming.
– Other factors exacerbated this crisis: limited coastlines for oceanic sequestration due to landmass clustering, absence of new mountain formation, and no phytoplankton yet evolved to neutralize acidic seas through carbonate shells on the ocean floor.
– Current plate tectonic activity, vibrant life cycles in oceans, fragmented continents, and abundant weatherable rocks differentiate today’s Earth from Pangaean-era vulnerabilities.

*[Peter Brannen’s excerpt is published courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers. Lead image: Sahara Prince / Shutterstock]*

[Read More](https://nautil.us/when-our-world-was-a-wasteland-1232770/)

—

### Indian Opinion Analysis

This exploration of Earth’s ancient climate challenges highlights valuable lessons for India amidst growing global concerns over climate change. Carbon sequestration mechanisms like rock weathering underscore the crucial role geology plays in maintaining climate stability-an issue that has implications as India navigates urban expansion while preserving its rich biodiversity.

India’s geological diversity includes Himalayas providing fresh rock surfaces critical for CO₂ absorption via chemical weathering. Yet mining activities or poorly-managed growth risks eroding these natural safeguards akin to phenomena described from pangaean history. As such initiatives like afforestation paired could harmonize competitive Industry needs fostering Bioregions valuable serve stabilizing future abating atmospheric impact