A recent study has revealed that Earth’s climate has been significantly warmer for most of the past 485 million years than it is today. 

Published in the journal “Science,” the research provides the most comprehensive reconstruction of past temperatures, showing that Earth’s average temperatures during much of its history were far higher than scientists previously believed, as published by the Washington Post. 

By analyzing over 150,000 fossil records and advanced climate models, the study found that Earth was in a “hothouse” state for much of this period. During its hottest phase, the planet’s average temperature soared to 96.8°F, well above the 58.96°F recorded last year. For hundreds of millions of years, Earth’s climate was largely ice-free, with no polar ice caps and much higher global temperatures than today.

These findings highlight the intimate connection between carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures. As carbon levels fluctuated, Earth experienced periods of dramatic cooling and warming. However, this research emphasizes that our current climate, while warmer than in recent centuries, is still cooler than much of Earth’s past.