A Harvard study explains how the Sturtian glaciation lasted 56 million years through a cycle of volcanic CO2 release and basalt weathering. This natural process created a limit cycle of freezing and thawing that allowed life to persist during a Snowball Earth period. This geological mechanism is now being mirrored by modern carbon removal companies. Enhanced rock weathering uses crushed basalt on farmland to accelerate the natural absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide, turning mining waste into a climate tool.
