Scientists think the Cryogenian glaciations, called the Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations, were caused by volcanic activity connected to the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. Huge outpourings of magma created the Laurentian basaltic province and other flood basalts. These rocks increased weathering, a process that removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With less carbon dioxide, Earth’s greenhouse effect weakened during the Cryogenian Period, allowing global conditions to become colder.
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