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. 2024 Feb 9;10(6):eadk5489.
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk5489. Epub 2024 Feb 9.

Impact-induced initiation of Snowball Earth: A model study

Minmin Fu  1 , Dorian S Abbot  2 , Christian Koeberl  3 , Alexey Fedorov  1
Affiliations

Impact-induced initiation of Snowball Earth: A model study

Minmin Fu et al. Sci Adv. .

Abstract

During the Neoproterozoic and Paleoproterozoic eras, geological evidence points to several "Snowball Earth" episodes when most of Earth's surface was covered in ice. These global-scale glaciations represent the most marked climate changes in Earth's history. We show that the impact winter following an asteroid impact comparable in size to the Chicxulub impact could have led to a runaway ice-albedo feedback and global glaciation. Using a state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean climate model, we simulate the climate response following an impact for preindustrial, Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Cretaceous-like, and Neoproterozoic climates. While warm ocean temperatures in the preindustrial and Cretaceous-like climates prevent Snowball initiation, the colder oceans of the LGM and cold Neoproterozoic climate scenarios rapidly form sea ice and demonstrate high sensitivity to the initial condition of the ocean. Given suggestions of a cold pre-Snowball climate, we argue the initiation of Snowball Earth by a large impact is a robust possible mechanism, as previously suggested by others, and conclude by discussing geologic tests.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.. Atmospheric transmission at a wavelength of 500 nm as a function of time after impact.
Figure adapted from calculations of Pope et al. (46). Postimpact radiative transmission relative to preimpact is shown for three scenarios in black curves, with transmission curves for other volumes of SO2 estimated through interpolation of the 6.6-, 200-, and 2000-Gt scenarios and shown in colored contours.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.. Response of sea ice coverage to radiative forcing under 6.6-, 200-, and 2000-Gt sulfate aerosol injection scenarios.
(A) Sea ice coverage in the preindustrial (PI) simulations. (B) As in (A) but for the LGM simulations. (C) As in (A) but for the 4 × CO2 simulations. (D) As in (A) but for the 720-Ma (750-ppm) simulations. (E) As in (A) but for the 720-Ma (1500-ppm) simulations. Snowball Earth (defined here as 97% global sea ice coverage) is achieved on the ninth year for the 200-Gt scenario and the seventh year for the 2000-Gt scenario applied to the LGM simulation. Snowball Earth is achieved on the eighth and sixth years, respectively for the 720-Ma (750-ppm) simulation.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.. Snapshots of sea ice coverage during the decade following the 200-Gt radiative forcing scenario for selected experiments.
From left to right, columns show the sea ice response of the preindustrial (PI), LGM, 4 × CO2, and 720-Ma (750-ppm) simulations, respectively.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.. Global mean ocean temperature (averaged over all depths) for 6.6-, 200-, and 2000-Gt sulfate aerosol injection scenarios.
(A) Ocean temperature response for the PI simulations. (B) As in (A) but for the LGM simulations. (C) As in (A) but for the 4 × CO2 simulations. (D) As in (A) but for the 720-Ma (750-ppm) simulations. (E) As in (A) but for the 720-Ma (1500-ppm) simulations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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