Ideas and perspectives: Emerging contours of a dynamic exogenous kerogen cycle

Abstract

Growing evidence points to the dynamic role that kerogen is playing on the Earth's surface in controlling atmospheric chemistry over geologic time. Although quantitative constraints on weathering of kerogen remain loose, its changing weathering behavior modulated by the activity of glaciers, suggest that this largest pool of reduced carbon on Earth may have played a key part in atmospheric CO₂ variability across recent glacial-interglacial times and beyond.