![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/02\/OSH_research-continents_CoverPhoto-980x551-1.jpg\")
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A new study led by University of Wisconsin Oshkosh geologist Timothy Paulsen advances the understanding of the role continents have played in the chemical evolution of Earth\u2019s oceans, with implications for understanding atmospheric oxygenation and global climate oscillations.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this publication, one scientifically important article is featured to highlight the state of the science,\u201d said Eric Hiatt, UW Oshkosh geology department chair. \u201cIt is a major honor to be chosen and shows that Dr. Paulsen is at the forefront of scientific discovery.\u201dThe research is featured on the cover of the February issue of\u00a0GSA Today<\/em><\/a>, which is published by the Geological Society of America to highlight timely, innovative articles that appeal to a broad geoscience audience.<\/p>\n The team of researchers analyzed a global database of the chemistry of tiny zircon grains commonly found in the Earth\u2019s continental rock record. The research team includes other scientists from Michigan Technological University and ETH Zurich in Switzerland.<\/p>\n \u201cOceans cover 70% of Earth\u2019s surface, setting it apart from the other terrestrial planets in the solar system,\u201d said Paulsen, the lead author on the paper. \u201cGeologists have long recognized that there have been profound changes in ocean chemistry over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet there are significant questions about the drivers for changes in ocean chemistry in Earth\u2019s past, especially associated with the ancient rock record leading up to the Cambrian explosion of life approximately 540 million years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cContinents tend to be worn down by weathering and rivers tend to transport this sediment to the oceans, leaving scattered puzzle pieces for geologists to fit together,\u201d said Chad Deering, a Michigan Tech geologist and coauthor on the paper. \u201cThere is increasing evidence that important pieces of the puzzle are found in the ancient beach and river sediments produced through continental weathering and erosion.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers\u2019 findings, based on an analysis of an exceptionally large zircon data set from sandstones recovered from Earth\u2019s major continental landmasses, may signify key links in the evolution of the Earth\u2019s rock cycle and its oceans.<\/p>\n \u201cOur results suggest that two major increases in continental input from rivers draining the continents were related to the break-up and dispersal of continents, which caused increased weathering and erosion of a higher proportion of radiogenic rocks and high-elevation continental crust,\u201d Paulsen said.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth episodes are curiously associated with snowball Earth glaciations and associated steps in oxygenation of the atmosphere-ocean system. Geologists have long recognized that oceans are required to make continents. It would appear based on our analyses that the continents, in turn, shape the Earth\u2019s oceans, atmosphere and climate.\u201d<\/p>\n This study was funded by UWO\u2019s Faculty Development Program.<\/p>\n Paulsen, who joined the University\u2019s geology faculty in 1999, teaches courses, such as geologic field methods, geophysics and geotectonics, structural geology and tectonics, and field geology.<\/p>\n Learn more:<\/strong><\/p>\n A new study led by University of Wisconsin Oshkosh geologist Timothy Paulsen advances the understanding of the role continents have played in the chemical evolution of Earth\u2019s oceans, with implications for understanding atmospheric oxygenation and global climate oscillations. \u201cIn this publication, one scientifically important article is featured to highlight the state of the science,\u201d said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":7515,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[94],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-7513","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-oshkosh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/7513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=7513"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=7513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/02\/OSH_research-continents_Paulsen_Tim_2012-192x240-1.jpg\")
\u201cDr. Pauslen has over 50 scientific publications and is well-known and respected globally. UWO students benefit because he brings his research and discoveries into his classes \u2026 something that you can\u2019t get from a textbook,\u201d Hiatt said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTop photo by Timothy Paulsen: Mountain peaks, glaciers, and prayer flags near the Kunzum La Pass, a high mountain pass connecting the Lahaul and Spiti valleys in the Indian Himalaya.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n