A groundbreaking scientific discovery reveals a major secret: volcanoes in the Andes may have cooled the Earth millions of years ago

An international team of scientists has discovered that intense volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains roughly 6 to 9 million years ago may have played a key role in the Earth’s global cooling. The research suggests that ash released by the volcanoes acted as a natural fertilizer for the oceans, boosting the large-scale capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂).

The study, published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment, involved researchers from Argentina, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Chile. Among them was paleontologist Carolina Gutstein, director of the Applied Paleontology for Environmental Assessment diploma program at Universidad Santo Tomás.

Volcanic ash altered the climate

According to the researchers, volcanic eruptions released massive amounts of nutrient-rich ash that eventually reached the ocean. This material stimulated the growth of phytoplankton, microscopic marine organisms capable of absorbing CO₂ through photosynthesis.

The ash acted as a natural fertilizer, Gutstein explained, noting that the process increased marine biological activity and removed large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.

The study also suggests that the captured carbon did not remain only in microscopic organisms. Instead, it moved throughout the marine food chain, eventually reaching large animals such as whales and other marine mammals causing a mass die-off.

When those animals died and sank to the ocean floor, the carbon remained stored there for long periods of time. It also resulted in the formation of what is called the Cerro Ballena, or “Whale Hill,” largest concentration of whale fossils in the world.

The researcher said that it is known that carbon is the primary driver behind global temperature fluctuations. Removing it on a massive scale leads to global cooling, she explained.

Effects on marine Life

The effects were not limited to the climate. Scientists also identified direct consequences for marine ecosystems and the evolution of several species.

Using computer models, the team reconstructed how these eruptions affected different oceans and regions around the world, reaching areas of northern Chile, Argentina, and even the Atlantic Ocean.

The research also links this phenomenon to ancient episodes of “red tide,” which causes excessive growth of toxic microalgae in the water, as well as to evolutionary changes in whales. During that period, whales began developing the gigantism that characterizes many modern species.

Experts note that these climate processes operate over thousands and even millions of years. However, they believe that understanding how Earth’s climate functioned in the past may help scientists better understand today’s climate change challenges.

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