Earth's Ancient Heatwave: The Hidden Role of Forests

A long time ago, around 252 million years, Earth faced its worst life crisis. The "Great Dying" wiped out nearly 90% of all species. After this disaster, the planet stayed extremely hot for 5 million years. Scientists have been trying to figure out why. Recently, a group of researchers made a big discovery. They studied old fossils and found that tropical forests played a huge role. When these forests died, the Earth lost a key tool for fighting heat. Forests absorb and store carbon. They also help with a process called "silicate weathering, " which removes carbon from the air. Without forests, carbon built up in the atmosphere, keeping the planet hot. This finding is important for today. Humans are causing global warming by burning fossil fuels. If we keep this up, we might push Earth's forests to a point of no return. Once that happens, the planet might not cool down, even if we stop polluting. This is called a "tipping point. " The researchers also found that the forests of today might be stronger than those from the past. But we can't be sure. The study shows that if we don't act now, we could face a future like the "Great Dying. "