Articles | Volume 13, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1129-2017
© Author(s) 2017. 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-13-1129-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
11 Sep 2017
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 11 Sep 2017
Astronomical calibration of the Ypresian timescale: implications for seafloor spreading rates and the chaotic behavior of the solar system?
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of
Bremen, Leobener Straße, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Ursula Röhl
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of
Bremen, Leobener Straße, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Thomas Frederichs
Faculty 5 Geosciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Claudia Agnini
Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università degli Studi di Padova, via G.
Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padua, Italy
Isabella Raffi
Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Geologia (InGeo) – CeRSGeo, Universitaà
degli Studi “G. d'Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, via dei Vestini 31, 66013
Chieti-Pescara, Italy
James C. Zachos
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California
Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Roy H. Wilkens
Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i,
Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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Roy H. Wilkens, Thomas Westerhold, Anna J. Drury, Mitchell Lyle, Thomas Gorgas, and Jun Tian
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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.
Oliver Friedrich, Sietske J. Batenburg, Kazuyoshi Moriya, Silke Voigt, Cécile Cournède, Iris Möbius, Peter Blum, André Bornemann, Jens Fiebig, Takashi Hasegawa, Pincelli M. Hull, Richard D. Norris, Ursula Röhl, Thomas Westerhold, Paul A. Wilson, and IODP Expedition
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2016-51, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2016-51, 2016
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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A lack of knowledge on the timing of Late Cretaceous climatic change inhibits our understanding of underlying causal mechanisms. Therefore, we used an expanded deep ocean record from the North Atlantic that shows distinct sedimentary cyclicity suggesting orbital forcing. A high-resolution carbon-isotope record from bulk carbonates allows to identify global trends in the carbon cycle. Our new carbon isotope record and the established cyclostratigraphy may serve as a future reference site.
Hemmo A. Abels, Vittoria Lauretano, Anna E. van Yperen, Tarek Hopman, James C. Zachos, Lucas J. Lourens, Philip D. Gingerich, and Gabriel J. Bowen
Clim. Past, 12, 1151–1163, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1151-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1151-2016, 2016
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Ancient greenhouse warming episodes are studied in river floodplain sediments in the western interior of the USA. Paleohydrological changes of four smaller warming episodes are revealed to be the opposite of those of the largest, most-studied event. Carbon cycle tracers are used to ascertain whether the largest event was a similar event but proportional to the smaller ones or whether this event was distinct in size as well as in carbon sourcing, a question the current work cannot answer.
Valeria Luciani, Gerald R. Dickens, Jan Backman, Eliana Fornaciari, Luca Giusberti, Claudia Agnini, and Roberta D'Onofrio
Clim. Past, 12, 981–1007, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-981-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-981-2016, 2016
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The symbiont-bearing planktic foraminiferal genera Morozovella and Acarinina were among the most important calcifiers of the early Paleogene tropical and subtropical oceans. However, a remarkable and permanent switch in the relative abundance of these genera happened in the early Eocene. We show that this switch occurred at low-latitude sites near the start of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO), a multi-million-year interval when Earth surface temperatures reached their Cenozoic maximum.
Claudia Agnini, David J. A. Spofforth, Gerald R. Dickens, Domenico Rio, Heiko Pälike, Jan Backman, Giovanni Muttoni, and Edoardo Dallanave
Clim. Past, 12, 883–909, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-883-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-883-2016, 2016
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In this paper we present records of stable C and O isotopes, CaCO3 content, and changes in calcareous nannofossil assemblages in a upper Paleocene-lower Eocene rocks now exposed in northeast Italy. Modifications of nannoplankton assemblages and carbon isotopes are strictly linked one to each other and always display the same ranking and spacing. The integration of this two data sets represents a significative improvement in our capacity to correlate different sections at a very high resolution.
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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Several episodes of global warming took place during greenhouse conditions in the early Eocene and are recorded in deep-sea sediments. The stable carbon and oxygen isotope records are used to investigate the magnitude of six of these events describing their effects on the global carbon cycle and the associated temperature response. Findings indicate that these events share a common nature and hint to the presence of multiple sources of carbon release.
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.
C. J. Hollis, B. R. Hines, K. Littler, V. Villasante-Marcos, D. K. Kulhanek, C. P. Strong, J. C. Zachos, S. M. Eggins, L. Northcote, and A. Phillips
Clim. Past, 11, 1009–1025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1009-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1009-2015, 2015
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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.
M. Rothe, T. Frederichs, M. Eder, A. Kleeberg, and M. Hupfer
Biogeosciences, 11, 5169–5180, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5169-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5169-2014, 2014
T. Westerhold, U. Röhl, H. Pälike, R. Wilkens, P. A. Wilson, and G. Acton
Clim. Past, 10, 955–973, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-955-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-955-2014, 2014
W. C. Clyde, P. D. Gingerich, S. L. Wing, U. Röhl, T. Westerhold, G. Bowen, K. Johnson, A. A. Baczynski, A. Diefendorf, F. McInerney, D. Schnurrenberger, A. Noren, K. Brady, and the BBCP Science Team
Sci. Dril., 16, 21–31, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-16-21-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-16-21-2013, 2013
N. Preto, C. Agnini, M. Rigo, M. Sprovieri, and H. Westphal
Biogeosciences, 10, 6053–6068, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6053-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6053-2013, 2013
J. A. Collins, A. Govin, S. Mulitza, D. Heslop, M. Zabel, J. Hartmann, U. Röhl, and G. Wefer
Clim. Past, 9, 1181–1191, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-1181-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-1181-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Feedback and Forcing | Archive: Marine Archives | Timescale: Cenozoic
Polar amplification of orbital-scale climate variability in the early Eocene greenhouse world
Biotic response of plankton communities to Middle to Late Miocene monsoon wind and nutrient flux changes in the Oman margin upwelling zone
North Atlantic marine biogenic silica accumulation through the early to middle Paleogene: implications for ocean circulation and silicate weathering feedback
Global mean surface temperature and climate sensitivity of the early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO), Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and latest Paleocene
Dynamics of sediment flux to a bathyal continental margin section through the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
Warming, euxinia and sea level rise during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum on the Gulf Coastal Plain: implications for ocean oxygenation and nutrient cycling
Orbitally tuned timescale and astronomical forcing in the middle Eocene to early Oligocene
Cyclone trends constrain monsoon variability during late Oligocene sea level highstands (Kachchh Basin, NW India)
Productivity feedback did not terminate the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)
High resolution cyclostratigraphy of the early Eocene – new insights into the origin of the Cenozoic cooling trend
Chris D. Fokkema, Tobias Agterhuis, Danielle Gerritsma, Myrthe de Goeij, Xiaoqing Liu, Pauline de Regt, Addison Rice, Laurens Vennema, Claudia Agnini, Peter K. Bijl, Joost Frieling, Matthew Huber, Francien Peterse, and Appy Sluijs
Clim. Past, 20, 1303–1325, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1303-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1303-2024, 2024
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Polar amplification (PA) is a key uncertainty in climate projections. The factors that dominantly control PA are difficult to separate. Here we provide an estimate for the non-ice-related PA by reconstructing tropical ocean temperature variability from the ice-free early Eocene, which we compare to deep-ocean-derived high-latitude temperature variability across short-lived warming periods. We find a PA factor of 1.7–2.3 on 20 kyr timescales, which is somewhat larger than model estimates.
Gerald Auer, Or M. Bialik, Mary-Elizabeth Antoulas, Noam Vogt-Vincent, and Werner E. Piller
Clim. Past, 19, 2313–2340, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2313-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2313-2023, 2023
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We provided novel insights into the behaviour of a major upwelling cell between 15 and 8.5 million years ago. To study changing conditions, we apply a combination of geochemical and paleoecological parameters to characterize the nutrient availability and subsequent utilization by planktonic primary producers. These changes we then juxtapose with established records of contemporary monsoon wind intensification and changing high-latitude processes to explain shifts in the plankton community.
Jakub Witkowski, Karolina Bryłka, Steven M. Bohaty, Elżbieta Mydłowska, Donald E. Penman, and Bridget S. Wade
Clim. Past, 17, 1937–1954, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1937-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1937-2021, 2021
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We reconstruct the history of biogenic opal accumulation through the early to middle Paleogene in the western North Atlantic. Biogenic opal accumulation was controlled by deepwater temperatures, atmospheric greenhouse gas levels, and continental weathering intensity. Overturning circulation in the Atlantic was established at the end of the extreme early Eocene greenhouse warmth period. We also show that the strength of the link between climate and continental weathering varies through time.
Gordon N. Inglis, Fran Bragg, Natalie J. Burls, Marlow Julius Cramwinckel, David Evans, Gavin L. Foster, Matthew Huber, Daniel J. Lunt, Nicholas Siler, Sebastian Steinig, Jessica E. Tierney, Richard Wilkinson, Eleni Anagnostou, Agatha M. de Boer, Tom Dunkley Jones, Kirsty M. Edgar, Christopher J. Hollis, David K. Hutchinson, and Richard D. Pancost
Clim. Past, 16, 1953–1968, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1953-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1953-2020, 2020
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This paper presents estimates of global mean surface temperatures and climate sensitivity during the early Paleogene (∼57–48 Ma). We employ a multi-method experimental approach and show that i) global mean surface temperatures range between 27 and 32°C and that ii) estimates of
bulkequilibrium climate sensitivity (∼3 to 4.5°C) fall within the range predicted by the IPCC AR5 Report. This work improves our understanding of two key climate metrics during the early Paleogene.
Tom Dunkley Jones, Hayley R. Manners, Murray Hoggett, Sandra Kirtland Turner, Thomas Westerhold, Melanie J. Leng, Richard D. Pancost, Andy Ridgwell, Laia Alegret, Rob Duller, and Stephen T. Grimes
Clim. Past, 14, 1035–1049, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1035-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1035-2018, 2018
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The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is a transient global warming event associated with a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Here we document a major increase in sediment accumulation rates on a subtropical continental margin during the PETM, likely due to marked changes in hydro-climates and sediment transport. These high sedimentation rates persist through the event and may play a key role in the removal of carbon from the atmosphere by the burial of organic carbon.
A. Sluijs, L. van Roij, G. J. Harrington, S. Schouten, J. A. Sessa, L. J. LeVay, G.-J. Reichart, and C. P. Slomp
Clim. Past, 10, 1421–1439, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1421-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1421-2014, 2014
T. Westerhold, U. Röhl, H. Pälike, R. Wilkens, P. A. Wilson, and G. Acton
Clim. Past, 10, 955–973, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-955-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-955-2014, 2014
M. Reuter, W. E. Piller, M. Harzhauser, and A. Kroh
Clim. Past, 9, 2101–2115, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2101-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2101-2013, 2013
A. Torfstein, G. Winckler, and A. Tripati
Clim. Past, 6, 265–272, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-6-265-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-6-265-2010, 2010
T. Westerhold and U. Röhl
Clim. Past, 5, 309–327, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-5-309-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-5-309-2009, 2009
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Short summary
We assembled a very accurate geological timescale from the interval 47.8 to 56.0 million years ago, also known as the Ypresian stage. We used cyclic variations in the data caused by periodic changes in Earthäs orbit around the sun as a metronome for timescale construction. Our new data compilation provides the first geological evidence for chaos in the long-term behavior of planetary orbits in the solar system, as postulated almost 30 years ago, and a possible link to plate tectonics events.
We assembled a very accurate geological timescale from the interval 47.8 to 56.0 million years...
