This topic is not meant for serious consideration, but it’s a question that has been rattling around in my head for years.
The problem is this: If the famous Redwall Limestone in the Grand Canyon formed in a very short period of time, that would require a great many sea creature living at the same time to capture carbon from the atmosphere and lock it away in the form of calcium carbonate (shells). Is it even possible for the biosphere to support so many living creatures at the same time?
I suspected it was not possible, but had no good way to approach the question. To summarize the rest of this, I asked the Google AI to consider if it was possible for this much limestone to be deposited in 1000 years (instead of 15 million). The answer in “no”, and severe consequences if it did, like the collapse of photosynthesis.
I furthered asked for clarification that Redwall limestone was the only geologic formation considered (it is). The upshot here is that depositing so much limestone in a single formation in a very short period of time is not plausible, It is somehow were (miracles?) then it ignores the geologic processes that must be going on in the rest of the world at the same time.
If there is some miraculous solution to this, it just raise a new problem of the energy budget for so many creatures to be living at once.
Cues:
The redwall limestone in the grand canyon is roughly 1000 feet thick. Are there are estimate for the density of sea creature need to deposit this amount of limestone in the estimated time available?
In terms of the Carbon budget for the planet, what percentage was deposited versus the amount of carbon recycled into the ecosystem?
Stand by for a silly question: If the redwall limestone were deposited in a very short period of time, say only 1000 years, would there be enough carbon left in the biosphere to sustain life?
Please clarify: that is just considering the redwall limestone, and not the rest of the world?
This implausibility and more can be had for the low-low-price of one false proposition.