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mit_catastrophe OP t1_j8tedrd wrote

Reply to comment by TakoBell22 in We are MIT scientists studying past global environmental catastrophes (mass extinctions, etc.) and their relevance to modern-day climate change. Ask us anything! by mit_catastrophe

Thanks for your questions!

  1. A large part of the answer is curiosity. We were aware of the great disruptions of the geologic past and wondered whether a quantitative theory could be devised that helped us relate past disruptions to modern environmental change. Of course were were also motivated by the practical importance of the question. But curiosity came first. Perhaps the most important consequence of our conclusions is that they’ve provided a new impetus to study the past, not just because it helps us understand how the Earth came to its pre-industrial state, but also because it helps us understand the risk of disturbing it.

  2. Most fundamentally, the experience has led to a deeper respect for and interest in the people doing this important work!

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