Ocean seawater chemistry linked with periods of global cooling, sharp changes from greenhouse to icehouse climate

An interesting post. But is it the sulfate or the calcium. Perhaps higher calcium sulfate concentrations permits much more of the earths gaseous CO2 to be dissolved into the ocean as calcium bi-carbonate (in the cold regions) or precipitated out as limestone in the warm regions.

The correlation between the Indian plate collision with Asia & the subsequent downward trend in global temps has long been known by geologists but this is the first time I have heard this sulfate hypothesis proposed. Previously, the correlation was generally attributed to changes in upper atmosphere circulation, driven by the lifting of the mountains, both in Asia and in North America (Rocky Mtns uplift at roughly the same time).
I can see the potential validity in this hypothesis, although I wouldn’t say that it rules out the old hypothesis either. In reality, it could be a combination of both effects.
For non-geoscientists out there, the images of the Zagros foldbelt attached with the post , show compressional anticlines, which where formed by the collision of the Indian plate with Asia. The significance of this, which isn’t explicitly stated in the article, is that these folds are cored by evaporite minerals, such as gypsum, anhydrite & halite. The collision process forms the folds & lifts these evaporite rocks to the surface, where prior to that,they would have been buried deep in the subsurface. Evaporite minerals are easily dissolved in water, so once at the surface, they can be rapidly dissolved / eroded & carried into the ocean by rainwater / streams / rivers, thus potentially dramatically changing ocean chemistry in a short period of time, such as the article suggests. The Zagros belt is extremely extensive , so this isn’t an unreasonable hypothesis.
I hope this explanation helps tie the images to what the author’s are thing to propose for non-geoscientists.
This article further strengthens the ties of geologic & climatologic processes together. Geoscientists are well aware of these ties & understand the huge variability of climate of geologic time, all driven by non-anthropogenic processes, thus why you will find the vast majority of geoscientists (myself included) falling into the skeptic camp when it comes to the subject of CAGW.

.Is this new? I studied the geochemical consequences of India colliding with Asia in the 70’s, in a geochemistry class. In what I have read of this paper they fail to mention that the Himalayan orogeny (Mountain building) disrupted atmospheric circulation in a significant way. The Himalayas produced and continues to produce a great deal of orographic precipitation. The Himalayas are still growing as the Indian continent pushes further into the Eurasians continent.
They also failed to mention that a large amount of limestone became exposed to weathering and dissolution. It is well known that when limestone is dissolved in water CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
The Himalayas continue to remove a lot of water and CO2 from the atmosphere, and also modify atmospheric circulation. It appears that their grant was for the study of sulfates therefore it is the most significant parameter “One potential cause.” They also seem to be making an oblique case for the importance sulfate aerosols.
I wonder if in their framework, if it is the kind of framework I am thinking of, they included atmospheric circulation changes due to mountain building and destruction. It would have been educational if they had mentioned some of the other parameters in their framework
When I read through abstracts and news releases like this, I get the feeling that some of the Earth Sciences have become disconnected from others and have agendas.

Salinity sanity … only in Canada eh? 🙂 Sorry, must brag. But we do appear to have a somewhat saner government than most Western Nations. In a purported letter from 2002, publicized by his political enemies – including the socialist CBC – he supposedly states:
We’re gearing up for the biggest struggle our party has faced since you entrusted me with the leadership. I’m talking about the “battle of Kyoto” — our campaign to block the job-killing, economy-destroying Kyoto Accord.
It would take more than one letter to explain what’s wrong with Kyoto, but here are a few facts about this so-called “Accord”:
◦It’s based on tentative and contradictory scientific evidence about climate trends.
◦ It focuses on carbon dioxide, which is essential to life, rather than upon pollutants.
◦ Canada is the only country in the world required to make significant cuts in emissions. Third World countries are exempt, the Europeans get credit for shutting down inefficient Soviet-era industries, and no country in the Western hemisphere except Canada is signing.
◦ Implementing Kyoto will cripple the oil and gas industry, which is essential to the economies of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
◦As the effects trickle through other industries, workers and consumers everywhere in Canada will lose. THERE ARE NO CANADIAN WINNERS UNDER THE KYOTO ACCORD.
◦The only winners will be countries such as Russia, India, and China, from which Canada will have to buy “emissions credits.” Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations.
◦On top of all this, Kyoto will not even reduce greenhouse gases. By encouraging transfer of industrial production to Third World countries where emissions standards are more relaxed, it will almost certainly increase emissions on a global scale
I don’t remember seeing this letter at the time (I was a member), but it’s great if true.

This is an interesting idea that bears further investigation. However, I remain highly skeptical of statements like “We used a… model… to show that the… record can be explained,,,.”.
Models are easily tweaked to hindcast historical data, (which gives them the appearance of validity), but if they can’t accurately predict future trends, they’re garbage. The ‘acid test’ for any model is how well it predicts or matches reality.