Exploring the Forgotten Era: Life in a World Overrun by Wastelands

Tucked away 1,300 feet beneath Northern Ireland, the Kilroot mine reveals a striking world of salt. Here, Jason Hopps, the mine’s engineer, shows just how dark it gets. Switch off the lights, and it’s like stepping into oblivion. Above ground, sheep graze on lush fields kissed by the Irish Sea’s mist. But underground, everything sparkles with salt. Salt walls, floor, and ceilings create an otherworldly scene in this long, winding tunnel system—a grid-like network shaped over decades.

As we drive through these tunnels, a massive hydraulic scaler works away on the salt walls, almost like a giant insect. It’s a reminder of the mine’s industrial purpose. Yet, my Boston roots lead to a light-hearted chat with Hopps, grounding me in the bustling world above.

This mine’s salt connects to something much larger—a vast history dating back to the supercontinent Pangaea. Imagine a time when Pangaea was a harsh, arid landscape. This salt, present in different parts of the world, formed in conditions that were often hostile to life. Years ago, areas now known as Kansas and Austria showcased similar deposits. In Kansas, salt caverns are leveraged for natural gas storage, while Salzburg proudly sells its salt as gourmet fare.

Historically, thousands of years ago, Pangaea was an inhospitable place. By the time the Permian period hit (299-252 million years ago), the land had transformed into a sweltering desert with temperatures soaring up to 163°F. Vast regions turned into barren wastelands, with only shallow, acidic lakes offering any semblance of water. This extreme environment provides insight into how climates have changed over eons.

Recent studies show that the ancient carbon cycle was delicate. The intricate dance between volcanic CO₂ emissions and rock weathering played a crucial role in Earth’s atmosphere. If volcanic outputs exceeded what natural processes could handle, it threatened life on Earth—an unsettling fact considering how closely we mimic those conditions today.

Interestingly, the lack of rain in Pangaea’s interior stunted rock weathering. Without weathering, CO₂ lingered in the atmosphere, which led to extreme climate shifts. Today, we face similar threats with rising greenhouse gas levels. Studies show that our oceans, now equipped with thriving ecosystems, have improved resilience against such catastrophic shifts. However, like ancient Pangaea, our world hangs in a delicate balance.

As we look back, we also have to think forward. While today’s carbon sinks in oceans help reduce atmospheric CO₂, the looming question remains: Are we prepared for the climate challenges ahead? History urges us to reflect; we might be better equipped than past civilizations, but vigilance is essential for our environmental future.

For an in-depth understanding of how these dynamics evolve, check out this resource on the carbon cycle from the NASA Earth Science Division.

Excerpted from The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything by Peter Brannen.

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