Public Release: 2-Mar-2018
Fossilised plant leaf wax provides new tool for understanding ancient climates
University of Birmingham
New research, published in Scientific Reports, has outlined a new methodology for estimating ancient atmospheric water content based on fossil plant leaf waxes.
As the Earth's surface and atmosphere warm, the amount of moisture - water vapour - in the atmosphere will increase. Understanding the size of this increase is important for predicting future climates as water vapour is a significant greenhouse gas. Atmospheric moisture content also influences the patterns and intensity of rainfall events.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-03/uob-fpl030118.php