Question

Which of the following can the 55.8 million years old soil and rock layers tell scientists about the PETM?

a. Scientists can determine how quickly sea levels were rising.
b. The rock layers show that before the PETM the soil was moist and swampy, but dried during the PETM.
c. The rocks reveal fossil mammals that are larger during this time period than during the time when Earth's climate was cooler.
d. Scientists can determine the precipitation levels for each layer.

Answer 1

Through proxies like fossils and sediment layers, scientists can learn about ancient climates and infer changes in sea levels, soil moisture conditions, and the size of fossil mammals during the PETM. The 55.8 million years old soil and rock layers provide valuable data on the past environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 55.8 million years old soil and rock layers can tell scientists about the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) by providing information on past climates, also known as paleoclimates. Since geologists cannot directly measure temperature or precipitation from the past, they rely on proxies such as fossils, ice cores, tree rings, and sediment cores to interpret ancient climates. These layers can help determine sea levels, the moisture of the soil, and the types of organisms that lived during the PETM.

Looking at the fossil record, particularly the presence of ancient sea life found on land far from modern oceans, one can infer that sea levels were different in the past. Furthermore, rocks prior to the PETM might show evidence of moist and swampy conditions that changed during the PETM, indicating a shift in climate. The presence of fossil mammals of different sizes can shed light on environmental conditions and organism adaptations to climate changes.

Therefore, options a, b, and c from the original question could all be correct to varying degrees. Each of these aspects—sea level changes, soil moisture conditions, and fossil size—provides clues to the complex puzzle of Earth's historical climate during the PETM. Sediment layers can also offer data on temperature and precipitation patterns over time, supporting or refuting these inferences.