<p>In <A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoclimatology" rel="nofollow noreferrer">paleoclimateology</A> graphs of both temperature and atmospheric composition versus time are common. Where can I find a reconstruction of sea surface pressure versus time?</p>

<p>I have found one paper that reconstructs <A HREF="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v9/n6/full/ngeo2713.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">atmospheric pressure about 2.7 billion years ago</A> that claims pressure then was about half of what it is today based on the distribution of bubble sizes in lava, and links to a paper with similar conclusions based on fossilized rain drop (spatter) sizes.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-31T06:54:43.320Z
Just for curiosity, do you have a clue how has it changed generally (obviously increased since 2.7 billion years). I would guess that any change has been drastically more gradual than changes in composition or temperature.
Communisty
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2017-08-31T21:19:18.497Z
No idea - that's why I asked.
Sean Lake
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-01T12:17:16.037Z
From what I know about this subject, it's pretty non-definitive.   There's a paper here and there, but no consensus.  There was a hypothesis some years back that flying dinosaurs suggested the atmosphere was much thicker just 65-250 mya, but that has since been debunked as they may have been gliders and fast runners, enabling takeoff and short bursts of flight.    To my understanding, there isn't good consensus on this subject.    It's difficult to deduce.
userLTK
<atmosphere><atmosphere-modelling><paleoclimatology>
Is there a reconstruction of paleoclimate sea level air pressure?
Sean Lake
# Is there a reconstruction of paleoclimate sea level air pressure?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-30)

In [paleoclimateology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoclimatology) graphs of both temperature and atmospheric composition versus time are common. Where can I find a reconstruction of sea surface pressure versus time?

I have found one paper that reconstructs [atmospheric pressure about 2.7 billion years ago](http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v9/n6/full/ngeo2713.html) that claims pressure then was about half of what it is today based on the distribution of bubble sizes in lava, and links to a paper with similar conclusions based on fossilized rain drop (spatter) sizes.

**Tags:** atmosphere, atmosphere-modelling, paleoclimatology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just for curiosity, do you have a clue how has it changed generally (obviously increased since 2.7 billion years). I would guess that any change has been drastically more gradual than changes in composition or temperature.  
> **username_0**: No idea - that's why I asked.  
> **username_2**: From what I know about this subject, it's pretty non-definitive.   There's a paper here and there, but no consensus.  There was a hypothesis some years back that flying dinosaurs suggested the atmosphere was much thicker just 65-250 mya, but that has since been debunked as they may have been gliders and fast runners, enabling takeoff and short bursts of flight.    To my understanding, there isn't good consensus on this subject.    It's difficult to deduce.  

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## 0 answers

