Society for Science & the Public, which publishes Science News, uses cookies to personalize your experience and improve our services. For more information on how we use cookies on our websites, visit our Cookie Policy.
Feature Earth

What the Pliocene epoch can teach us about future warming on Earth

About 3 million years ago, carbon dioxide levels were similar to today’s. What other changes might we expect?

illustration of life in the Pliocene

BLAST FROM THE PAST  Three million years ago, Earth’s climate was so warm that the High Arctic supported forests (illustrated) in which camels and other animals roamed.

Julius T. Csotonyi

By Alexandra Witze

This article is only available to Science News subscribers.

Subscribers, enter your e-mail address to access our archives.

Not a subscriber?

Science News is a nonprofit.

Support us by subscribing now.

More Stories from Science News on Earth

  1. Environment

    Legos may take hundreds of years to break down in the ocean

    By Maria Temming
  2. Toro Negro State Forest
    Climate

    How Hurricane Maria’s heavy rains devastated Puerto Rico’s forests

    By Maria Temming
  3. the Orroral Valley Fire in Australia
    Climate

    Australia’s wildfires have now been linked to climate change

    By Carolyn Gramling
  4. woman online shopping
    Climate

    Ordering from a local store can curb online shopping’s CO₂ emissions

    By Maria Temming
  5. degraded coral reef
    Climate

    How scientists wrestle with grief over climate change

    By Jonathan Lambert
  6. flooded street
    Climate

    Economic costs of rising seas will be steeper than we thought, unless we prepare

    By Megan Sever
  7. Climate

    Climate change is slowly drying up the Colorado River

    By Maria Temming
  8. gas burning
    Climate

    Fossil fuel use may emit 40 percent more methane than we thought

    By Carolyn Gramling

From the Nature Index

Paid Content