Articles | Volume 11, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1009-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1009-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
31 Jul 2015
Research article |
| 31 Jul 2015
The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum at DSDP Site 277, Campbell Plateau, southern Pacific Ocean
GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
B. R. Hines
School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
K. Littler
Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California – Santa Cruz, California, USA
Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK
V. Villasante-Marcos
Observatorio Geofísico Central, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, Spain
D. K. Kulhanek
International Ocean Discovery Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
C. P. Strong
GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
J. C. Zachos
Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California – Santa Cruz, California, USA
S. M. Eggins
Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
L. Northcote
National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, Wellington, New Zealand
A. Phillips
GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
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In this paper we describe the experimental design for a set of simulations which will be carried out by a range of climate models, all investigating the climate of the Eocene, about 50 million years ago. The intercomparison of model results is called 'DeepMIP', and we anticipate that we will contribute to the next IPCC report through an analysis of these simulations and the geological data to which we will compare them.
Hemmo A. Abels, Vittoria Lauretano, Anna E. van Yperen, Tarek Hopman, James C. Zachos, Lucas J. Lourens, Philip D. Gingerich, and Gabriel J. Bowen
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K. M. Pascher, C. J. Hollis, S. M. Bohaty, G. Cortese, R. M. McKay, H. Seebeck, N. Suzuki, and K. Chiba
Clim. Past, 11, 1599–1620, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1599-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1599-2015, 2015
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V. Lauretano, K. Littler, M. Polling, J. C. Zachos, and L. J. Lourens
Clim. Past, 11, 1313–1324, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1313-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1313-2015, 2015
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T. Westerhold, U. Röhl, T. Frederichs, S. M. Bohaty, and J. C. Zachos
Clim. Past, 11, 1181–1195, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1181-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1181-2015, 2015
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Testing hypotheses for mechanisms and dynamics of past climate change relies on the accuracy of geological dating. Development of a highly accurate geological timescale for the Cenozoic Era has previously been hampered by discrepancies between radioisotopic and astronomical dating methods, as well as a stratigraphic gap in the middle Eocene. We close this gap and provide a fundamental advance in establishing a reliable and highly accurate geological timescale for the last 66 million years.
J. P. D'Olivo, M. T. McCulloch, S. M. Eggins, and J. Trotter
Biogeosciences, 12, 1223–1236, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1223-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1223-2015, 2015
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The boron isotope composition in the skeleton of massive Porites corals from the central Great Barrier Reef is used to reconstruct the seawater pH over the 1940-2009 period. The long-term decline in the coral-reconstructed seawater pH is in close agreement with estimates based on the CO2 uptake by surface waters due to rising atmospheric levels. We also observed a significant relationship between terrestrial runoff data and the inshore coral boron isotopes records.
S. J. Gallagher, N. Exon, M. Seton, M. Ikehara, C. J. Hollis, R. Arculus, S. D'Hondt, C. Foster, M. Gurnis, J. P. Kennett, R. McKay, A. Malakoff, J. Mori, K. Takai, and L. Wallace
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Subject: Proxy Use-Development-Validation | Archive: Marine Archives | Timescale: Cenozoic
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The discovery of cold-water glendonite pseudomorphs in sediments deposited during the hottest part of the Cenozoic poses an apparent climate paradox. This study examines their occurrence, association with volcanic sediments, and speculates on the timing and extent of cooling, fitting this with current understanding of global climate during this period. We propose that volcanic activity was key to both physical and chemical conditions that enabled the formation of glendonites in these sediments.
Alexander J. Clark, Ismael Torres-Romero, Madalina Jaggi, Stefano M. Bernasconi, and Heather M. Stoll
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The TEX86 proxy is often used by paleoceanographers to reconstruct past sea-surface temperatures. However, the origin of the TEX86 signal in marine sediments has been debated since the proxy was first proposed. In our paper, we show that TEX86 carries a mixed sea-surface and subsurface temperature signal and should be calibrated accordingly. Using our 15-million-year record, we subsequently show how a TEX86 subsurface temperature record can be used to inform us on past sea-surface temperatures.
Andrew L. A. Johnson, Annemarie M. Valentine, Bernd R. Schöne, Melanie J. Leng, and Stijn Goolaerts
Clim. Past, 18, 1203–1229, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1203-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1203-2022, 2022
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Determining seasonal temperatures demands proxies that record the highest and lowest temperatures over the annual cycle. Many record neither, but oxygen isotope profiles from shells in principle record both. Oxygen isotope data from late Pliocene bivalve molluscs of the southern North Sea basin show that the seasonal temperature range was at times much higher than previously estimated and higher than now. This suggests reduced oceanic heat supply, in contrast to some previous interpretations.
Carolien M. H. van der Weijst, Josse Winkelhorst, Wesley de Nooijer, Anna von der Heydt, Gert-Jan Reichart, Francesca Sangiorgi, and Appy Sluijs
Clim. Past, 18, 961–973, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-961-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-961-2022, 2022
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A hypothesized link between Pliocene (5.3–2.5 million years ago) global climate and tropical thermocline depth is currently only backed up by data from the Pacific Ocean. In our paper, we present temperature, salinity, and thermocline records from the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Surprisingly, the Pliocene thermocline evolution was remarkably different in the Atlantic and Pacific. We need to reevaluate the mechanisms that drive thermocline depth, and how these are tied to global climate change.
Peter K. Bijl, Joost Frieling, Marlow Julius Cramwinckel, Christine Boschman, Appy Sluijs, and Francien Peterse
Clim. Past, 17, 2393–2425, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2393-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2393-2021, 2021
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Here, we use the latest insights for GDGT and dinocyst-based paleotemperature and paleoenvironmental reconstructions in late Cretaceous–early Oligocene sediments from ODP Site 1172 (East Tasman Plateau, Australia). We reconstruct strong river runoff during the Paleocene–early Eocene, a progressive decline thereafter with increased wet/dry seasonality in the northward-drifting hinterland. Our critical review leaves the anomalous warmth of the Eocene SW Pacific Ocean unexplained.
Thomas J. Leutert, Sevasti Modestou, Stefano M. Bernasconi, and A. Nele Meckler
Clim. Past, 17, 2255–2271, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2255-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2255-2021, 2021
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The Miocene climatic optimum associated with high atmospheric CO2 levels (~17–14 Ma) was followed by a period of dramatic climate change. We present a clumped isotope-based bottom-water temperature record from the Southern Ocean covering this key climate transition. Our record reveals warm conditions and a substantial cooling preceding the main ice volume increase, possibly caused by thresholds involved in ice growth and/or regional effects at our study site.
Ella W. Stokke, Morgan T. Jones, Lars Riber, Haflidi Haflidason, Ivar Midtkandal, Bo Pagh Schultz, and Henrik H. Svensen
Clim. Past, 17, 1989–2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1989-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1989-2021, 2021
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In this paper, we present new sedimentological, geochemical, and mineralogical data exploring the environmental response to climatic and volcanic impact during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (~55.9 Ma; PETM). Our data suggest a rise in continental weathering and a shift to anoxic–sulfidic conditions. This indicates a rapid environmental response to changes in the carbon cycle and temperatures and highlights the important role of shelf areas as carbon sinks driving the PETM recovery.
Markus Raitzsch, Jelle Bijma, Torsten Bickert, Michael Schulz, Ann Holbourn, and Michal Kučera
Clim. Past, 17, 703–719, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-703-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-703-2021, 2021
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At approximately 14 Ma, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet expanded to almost its current extent, but the role of CO2 in this major climate transition is not entirely known. We show that atmospheric CO2 might have varied on 400 kyr cycles linked to the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit. The resulting change in weathering and ocean carbon cycle affected atmospheric CO2 in a way that CO2 rose after Antarctica glaciated, helping to stabilize the climate system on its way to the “ice-house” world.
Tom Dunkley Jones, Yvette L. Eley, William Thomson, Sarah E. Greene, Ilya Mandel, Kirsty Edgar, and James A. Bendle
Clim. Past, 16, 2599–2617, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2599-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2599-2020, 2020
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We explore the utiliity of the composition of fossil lipid biomarkers, which are commonly preserved in ancient marine sediments, in providing estimates of past ocean temperatures. The group of lipids concerned show compositional changes across the modern oceans that are correlated, to some extent, with local surface ocean temperatures. Here we present new machine learning approaches to improve our understanding of this temperature sensitivity and its application to reconstructing past climates.
Martin Tetard, Ross Marchant, Giuseppe Cortese, Yves Gally, Thibault de Garidel-Thoron, and Luc Beaufort
Clim. Past, 16, 2415–2429, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2415-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2415-2020, 2020
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Radiolarians are marine micro-organisms that produce a siliceous shell that is preserved in the fossil record and can be used to reconstruct past climate variability. However, their study is only possible after a time-consuming manual selection of their shells from the sediment followed by their individual identification. Thus, we develop a new fully automated workflow consisting of microscopic radiolarian image acquisition, image processing and identification using artificial intelligence.
Appy Sluijs, Joost Frieling, Gordon N. Inglis, Klaas G. J. Nierop, Francien Peterse, Francesca Sangiorgi, and Stefan Schouten
Clim. Past, 16, 2381–2400, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2381-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2381-2020, 2020
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We revisit 15-year-old reconstructions of sea surface temperatures in the Arctic Ocean for the late Paleocene and early Eocene epochs (∼ 57–53 million years ago) based on the distribution of fossil membrane lipids of archaea preserved in Arctic Ocean sediments. We find that improvements in the methods over the past 15 years do not lead to different results. However, data quality is now higher and potential biases better characterized. Results confirm remarkable Arctic warmth during this time.
Marlow Julius Cramwinckel, Lineke Woelders, Emiel P. Huurdeman, Francien Peterse, Stephen J. Gallagher, Jörg Pross, Catherine E. Burgess, Gert-Jan Reichart, Appy Sluijs, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 16, 1667–1689, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1667-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1667-2020, 2020
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Phases of past transient warming can be used as a test bed to study the environmental response to climate change independent of tectonic change. Using fossil plankton and organic molecules, here we reconstruct surface ocean temperature and circulation in and around the Tasman Gateway during a warming phase 40 million years ago termed the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum. We find that plankton assemblages track ocean circulation patterns, with superimposed variability being related to temperature.
Emily Dearing Crampton-Flood, Lars J. Noorbergen, Damian Smits, R. Christine Boschman, Timme H. Donders, Dirk K. Munsterman, Johan ten Veen, Francien Peterse, Lucas Lourens, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Clim. Past, 16, 523–541, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-523-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-523-2020, 2020
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The mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP; 3.3–3.0 million years ago) is thought to be the last geological interval with similar atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations as the present day. Further, the mPWP was 2–3 °C warmer than present, making it a good analogue for estimating the effects of future climate change. Here, we construct a new precise age model for the North Sea during the mPWP, and provide a detailed reconstruction of terrestrial and marine climate using a multi-proxy approach.
Gabriel J. Bowen, Brenden Fischer-Femal, Gert-Jan Reichart, Appy Sluijs, and Caroline H. Lear
Clim. Past, 16, 65–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-65-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-65-2020, 2020
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Past climate conditions are reconstructed using indirect and incomplete geological, biological, and geochemical proxy data. We propose that such reconstructions are best obtained by statistical inversion of hierarchical models that represent how multi–proxy observations and calibration data are produced by variation of environmental conditions in time and/or space. These methods extract new information from traditional proxies and provide robust, comprehensive estimates of uncertainty.
Morgan T. Jones, Lawrence M. E. Percival, Ella W. Stokke, Joost Frieling, Tamsin A. Mather, Lars Riber, Brian A. Schubert, Bo Schultz, Christian Tegner, Sverre Planke, and Henrik H. Svensen
Clim. Past, 15, 217–236, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-217-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-217-2019, 2019
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Mercury anomalies in sedimentary rocks are used to assess whether there were periods of elevated volcanism in the geological record. We focus on five sites that cover the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, an extreme global warming event that occurred 55.8 million years ago. We find that sites close to the eruptions from the North Atlantic Igneous Province display significant mercury anomalies across this time interval, suggesting that magmatism played a role in the global warming event.
Anna Joy Drury, Thomas Westerhold, David Hodell, and Ursula Röhl
Clim. Past, 14, 321–338, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-321-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-321-2018, 2018
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North Atlantic Site 982 is key to our understanding of climate evolution over the past 12 million years. However, the stratigraphy and age model are unverified. We verify the composite splice using XRF core scanning data and establish a revised benthic foraminiferal stable isotope astrochronology from 8.0–4.5 million years ago. Our new stratigraphy accurately correlates the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and suggests a connection between late Miocene cooling and dynamic ice sheet expansion.
Paul E. Bachem, Bjørg Risebrobakken, Stijn De Schepper, and Erin L. McClymont
Clim. Past, 13, 1153–1168, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1153-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1153-2017, 2017
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We present a high-resolution multi-proxy study of the Norwegian Sea, covering the 5.33 to 3.14 Ma time window within the Pliocene. We show that large-scale climate transitions took place during this warmer than modern time, most likely in response to ocean gateway transformations. Strong warming at 4.0 Ma in the Norwegian Sea, when regions closer to Greenland cooled, indicate that increased northward ocean heat transport may be compatible with expanding glaciation and Arctic sea ice growth.
Harry Dowsett, Aisling Dolan, David Rowley, Robert Moucha, Alessandro M. Forte, Jerry X. Mitrovica, Matthew Pound, Ulrich Salzmann, Marci Robinson, Mark Chandler, Kevin Foley, and Alan Haywood
Clim. Past, 12, 1519–1538, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1519-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1519-2016, 2016
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Past intervals in Earth history provide unique windows into conditions much different than those observed today. We investigated the paleoenvironments of a past warm interval (~ 3 million years ago). Our reconstruction includes data sets for surface temperature, vegetation, soils, lakes, ice sheets, topography, and bathymetry. These data are being used along with global climate models to expand our understanding of the climate system and to help us prepare for future changes.
David Evans, Bridget S. Wade, Michael Henehan, Jonathan Erez, and Wolfgang Müller
Clim. Past, 12, 819–835, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-819-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-819-2016, 2016
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We show that seawater pH exerts a substantial control on planktic foraminifera Mg / Ca, a widely applied palaeothermometer. As a result, temperature reconstructions based on this proxy are likely inaccurate over climatic events associated with a significant change in pH. We examine the implications of our findings for hydrological and temperature shifts over the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum and for the degree of surface ocean precursor cooling before the Eocene-Oligocene transition.
E. O. Walliser, B. R. Schöne, T. Tütken, J. Zirkel, K. I. Grimm, and J. Pross
Clim. Past, 11, 653–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-653-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-653-2015, 2015
A. M. Snelling, G. E. A. Swann, J. Pike, and M. J. Leng
Clim. Past, 10, 1837–1842, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1837-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1837-2014, 2014
K. T. Lawrence, I. Bailey, and M. E. Raymo
Clim. Past, 9, 2391–2397, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2391-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2391-2013, 2013
C. F. Dawber and A. K. Tripati
Clim. Past, 8, 1957–1971, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-1957-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-1957-2012, 2012
G. E. A. Swann and S. V. Patwardhan
Clim. Past, 7, 65–74, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-7-65-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-7-65-2011, 2011
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Short summary
Re-examination of a Deep Sea Drilling Project sediment core (DSDP Site 277) from the western Campbell Plateau has identified the initial phase of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) within nannofossil chalk, the first record of the PETM in an oceanic setting in the southern Pacific Ocean (paleolatitude of ~65°S). Geochemical proxies indicate that intermediate and surface waters warmed by ~6° at the onset of the PETM prior to the full development of the negative δ13C excursion.
Re-examination of a Deep Sea Drilling Project sediment core (DSDP Site 277) from the western...
