Articles | Volume 12, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-439-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-439-2016
Research article
 | 
25 Feb 2016
Research article |  | 25 Feb 2016

Fossil plant stomata indicate decreasing atmospheric CO2 prior to the Eocene–Oligocene boundary

Margret Steinthorsdottir, Amanda S. Porter, Aidan Holohan, Lutz Kunzmann, Margaret Collinson, and Jennifer C. McElwain

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AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by Editor) (25 Jan 2016) by Yves Godderis
AR by Margret Steinthorsdottir on behalf of the Authors (25 Jan 2016)  Author's response   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (15 Feb 2016) by Yves Godderis
AR by Margret Steinthorsdottir on behalf of the Authors (16 Feb 2016)
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Short summary
Our manuscript "Fossil plant stomata indicate decreasing atmospheric CO2 prior to the Eocene–Oligocene boundary" reports that ~ 40 % decrease in pCO2 preceded the large shift in marine oxygen isotope records that characterizes the Eocene–Oliogocene climate transition. The results endorse the theory that pCO2 drawdown was the main forcer of the Eocene–Oligocene climate change, and a "tipping point" was reached in the latest Eocene, triggering the plunge of the Earth System into icehouse conditions.