- A new study has found that volcanoes have been responsible for stabilising temperatures at Earth’s surface and acted as a safety valve for the planet’s long-term climate.
- The researchers have discovered that extensive chains of volcanoes have been responsible for both emitting and then removing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) over geological time.
- The natural break-down and dissolution of rocks at Earth’s surface is called chemical weathering.
- It is critically important because the products of weathering (elements like calcium and magnesium) are flushed via rivers to the oceans, where they form minerals that lock up CO2.