Fig. 2: Cryptic degassing provides a missing carbon flux needed to reconcile model predictions with climate records.
From: Cryptic degassing and protracted greenhouse climates after flood basalt events
a–d, Comparison of observed climate histories22,24,25 with SCION model predictions for Columbia River Basalts (a), North Atlantic Igneous Province (b), Deccan Traps (c) and Siberian Traps (d). Co-eruptive degassing scenarios account for erupted lavas, co-eruptive CO2 release from intrusions and metamorphic CO2 estimates for the Siberian Traps and NAIP (dark shading reflects a range in assumed magmatic CO2 and a range in intrusive to extrusive ratios from 1:1 to 10:1; Methods). Combinations of volcanic, intrusive and metamorphic carbon synchronized with eruptive tempo are insufficient to explain the observed protracted warming. Light shaded envelope represents the range of climate responses for the range of cryptic degassing expected based on mantle plume melting models (Methods and Supplementary Fig. 2). PA, Paleocene; K, Cretaceous; P, Permian.
