Abstract:
The effects of huge anthropogenic carbon emission have caused huge controversy. Only by studying the change of atmospheric CO
2 levels and environment since the Eocene, can we correctly understand the consequences of human’s huge carbon emissions. Numerous studies have revealed that the atmospheric CO
2 concentrations have dropped dramatically from Early Eocene to the end of Oligocene, leading to the decrease of temperature and the formation of continental glaciers. And the atmospheric CO
2 concentrations have increased slowly in a long time under rather low and invariant levels since the Miocene. However, it is still unknown about the mechanisms which lead to the changing processes, and the place where the water that formed the continental glaciers comes from. Therefore, this research focused on the perspectives of deep carbon cycling, surface water cycling, and environmental changing of Tibetan Plateau to analyze the effects of anthropogenic huge carbon emission. During the rising process of Tibetan Plateau, with the methods of chemical weathering of silicate rocks, plant photosynthesis, intracontinental subduction (buried), and fluid-rock interactions, large amounts of atmospheric CO
2 were transferred into carbon-rich materials buried in the newly thickening crust of Tibetan Plateau. The atmospheric CO
2 levels have therefore decreased greatly, leading to global cooling and dry surface layers of the continental interiors (including Tibetan Plateau, similarly hereinafter) by losing water, and then the continental glaciers were formed. From Late Oligocene to Miocene, Tibetan Plateau had the scale to change the atmosphere circulation and the Asian monsoon was finally formed. The drastic desertification of the internal plateau began to show and the captured CO
2 decreased, which made a dynamic balance to the CO
2 from the internal Tibetan Plateau. This dynamic balance was the main mechanism of atmospheric CO
2 level change since Miocene. The long-term slow decline trend of atmospheric CO2 levels has been completely reversed by the huge anthropogenic carbon emission today. The liquid water released from the disappearing continental glaciers would come back to the cold and dry continental interiors in the form of atmospheric precipitation rather than oceans due to global warming. Tibetan Plateau would once again become a giant water tower, so that clean drinking water for more than three billion people would be substantially provided. The vast amount of CO
2 emitted by human beings would be absorbed and solidified using above methods due to the sustained growth of Tibetan Plateau and the currently dry and cold desertification of continental interiors, which makes the atmospheric CO
2 concentrations remain stably high in the future. At that time, all deserts would become oases, and the loess plateau would become a black soil plateau enriched in organic matters, which means the living environment would be greatly improved. However the PM 2.5 is difficult to spread and easy to form haze within the basin. The global mean sea level would rise due to the thermo-expansion of seawater with rate of 1 mm/a. Water will be circulated mainly between continental glaciers and inland surface layers, and has no relationship with the sea level. Therefore, the author concludes that the global warming caused by the huge anthropogenic carbon emission is more beneficial than harmful to human development.