A new study is analyzing the importance of the atmospheric dust in the creation of creatures from the Carboniferous and Permian periods. The scientists believe that they discovered a connection between the abundant atmospheric dust full of nutrients and the marine ecosystems.
The presence of many nutrients and Iron as well, are the ones that supported the phytoplankton populations. These populations are forming the basis of the marine systems. However, the connections from the past are not well known and studied.
The scientists thought that in the late Paleozoic was the deep fertilization from the atmospheric dust. But the newest study is showing now that it happened in the Paleoequator area. They wanted to explore more of the effects given by Iron fertilization and deposition into the oceans.
Life In Ancient Oceans Could Have Been Possible Thanks to Atmospheric Dust
The researchers have thought that this mechanism is available only in the current climate and mostly in the glacial and interglacial cycles. But now they know that the atmospheric Iron and dust are behind many of these modifications.
For further analysis, the scientists have studied a carbonate rock from the Alborz Mountains from Northern Iran that contained dust. The stone is not that simple as it seems, because it is taken from a layer of an ancient shallow sea, not from a river. This means that they are sure about the provenance of the sample, and they will find for sure atmospheric dust.
For analyzing the example, they used coupled plasma and a laser particle to extract 300 million years old dirt. The results are exciting when you find out dust particles that have a size of fewer than 15 micrometers, and they are coming from more than 1.000 kilometers away.
