Limited long-term cooling effects of Pangaean flood basalt weathering

Abstract

Abstract The emplacement of large igneous provinces (LIPs) is known to be a driver of climate change in Earth’s past. However, the balance of climate warming through CO2 emission and cooling through weathering is poorly understood. To better understand the role of LIP emplacement on long-term climate change, here we utilize the SCION coupled climate-biogeochemical model which considers the impact of LIPs through degassing of CO2 and enhancement of local continental weathering rates. This approach results in better correspondence between the modelled output and proxy reconstructions of the period (especially for seawater Sr isotope composition) when compared to previous modelling studies. Of the seven LIPs during the breakup phase of Pangaea (approximately 300–150 Ma), only the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) drives noticeable long-term cooling in the model, a minor effect (between 1-2 °C) despite emplacement of a very large surface area in the humid tropics. Similarly, only the CAMP imparts a significant change in the long-term Sr isotope record whereas the other LIPs of this period do not. Due to limited areal extents, and emplacement outside tropical weathering zones, we conclude most LIPs have no significant global cooling effect on multimillion year timescales.