Articles | Volume 13, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-779-2017
© 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-13-779-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 Jul 2017
Research article |
| 05 Jul 2017
Revisiting the Ceara Rise, equatorial Atlantic Ocean: isotope stratigraphy of ODP Leg 154 from 0 to 5 Ma
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology, University of Hawaii,
Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
Thomas Westerhold
MARUM, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Anna J. Drury
MARUM, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Mitchell Lyle
CEOAS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
Thomas Gorgas
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Jun Tian
State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai,
200092, China
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Anna Joy Drury, Diederik Liebrand, Thomas Westerhold, Helen M. Beddow, David A. Hodell, Nina Rohlfs, Roy H. Wilkens, Mitchell Lyle, David B. Bell, Dick Kroon, Heiko Pälike, and Lucas J. Lourens
Clim. Past, 17, 2091–2117, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2091-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2091-2021, 2021
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We use the first high-resolution southeast Atlantic carbonate record to see how climate dynamics evolved since 30 million years ago (Ma). During ~ 30–13 Ma, eccentricity (orbital circularity) paced carbonate deposition. After the mid-Miocene Climate Transition (~ 14 Ma), precession (Earth's tilt direction) increasingly drove carbonate variability. In the latest Miocene (~ 8 Ma), obliquity (Earth's tilt) pacing appeared, signalling increasing high-latitude influence.
Thomas Westerhold, Ursula Röhl, Roy H. Wilkens, Philip D. Gingerich, William C. Clyde, Scott L. Wing, Gabriel J. Bowen, and Mary J. Kraus
Clim. Past, 14, 303–319, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-303-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-303-2018, 2018
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Here we present a high-resolution timescale synchronization of continental and marine deposits for one of the most pronounced global warming events, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, which occurred 56 million years ago. New high-resolution age models for the Bighorn Basin Coring Project (BBCP) drill cores help to improve age models for climate records from deep-sea drill cores and for the first time point to a concurrent major change in marine and terrestrial biota 54.25 million years ago.
Thomas Westerhold, Ursula Röhl, Thomas Frederichs, Claudia Agnini, Isabella Raffi, James C. Zachos, and Roy H. Wilkens
Clim. Past, 13, 1129–1152, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1129-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1129-2017, 2017
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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.
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
Gerald Auer, David De Vleeschouwer, Arisa Seki, Anna Joy Drury, Yusuke Kubo, Minoru Ikehara, Junichiro Kuroda, and the ReC23-01 scientists
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2760, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2760, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Climate of the Past (CP).
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We explore new methods for ice-rafted debris detection in marine sediment cores to detect past climate changes and ice sheet dynamics. Traditional IRD detection methods are destructive and time-consuming. To alleviate this problem, we utilize non-destructive imaging techniques core material from the Indian Ocean. While promising, we found contamination to be an issue. Machine learning identifies density and chemical differences, but rigorous testing is needed to avoid false positives.
Mitchell Lyle and Annette Olivarez Lyle
Clim. Past, 20, 2685–2700, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2685-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2685-2024, 2024
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Greenhouse gases were key in maintaining past warm intervals, but feedbacks are needed to sustain high atmospheric CO2 levels. We assess whether changes in the ocean degradation depth of plankton-produced organic matter (particulate organic carbon – POC) affect ocean carbon storage. Limited POC burial in sediments during the Miocene Climate Optimum (MCO) warm interval, relative to recent periods, suggests poorer POC transfer to the abyss, leading to the MCO's higher atmospheric CO2 levels.
Julia de Entrambasaguas, Thomas Westerhold, Heather L. Jones, and Laia Alegret
J. Micropalaeontol., 43, 303–322, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-43-303-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-43-303-2024, 2024
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The Gulf Stream plays a crucial role in the ocean stability and climate regulation of the Northern Hemisphere. By analysing the fossil microorganisms that lived in the water column and the ocean floor, as well as reconstructing the ancient ocean's biogeochemistry, we were able to trace longitudinal shifts in the Gulf Stream during the late Eocene (36 Ma). Our results provide insight into the Gulf Stream's behaviour and the NW Atlantic's palaeoceanography during the Late Eocene (ca. 36 Ma).
Marci M. Robinson, Kenneth G. Miller, Tali L. Babila, Timothy J. Bralower, James V. Browning, Marlow J. Cramwinckel, Monika Doubrawa, Gavin L. Foster, Megan K. Fung, Sean Kinney, Maria Makarova, Peter P. McLaughlin, Paul N. Pearson, Ursula Röhl, Morgan F. Schaller, Jean M. Self-Trail, Appy Sluijs, Thomas Westerhold, James D. Wright, and James C. Zachos
Sci. Dril., 33, 47–65, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-33-47-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-33-47-2024, 2024
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The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is the closest geological analog to modern anthropogenic CO2 emissions, but its causes and the responses remain enigmatic. Coastal plain sediments can resolve this uncertainty, but their discontinuous nature requires numerous sites to constrain events. Workshop participants identified 10 drill sites that target the PETM and other interesting intervals. Our post-drilling research will provide valuable insights into Earth system responses.
Pauline Cornuault, Thomas Westerhold, Heiko Pälike, Torsten Bickert, Karl-Heinz Baumann, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 20, 597–618, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-597-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-597-2023, 2023
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We generated high-resolution records of carbonate accumulation rate from the Miocene to the Quaternary in the tropical Atlantic Ocean to characterize the variability in pelagic carbonate production during warm climates. It follows orbital cycles, responding to local changes in tropical conditions, as well as to long-term shifts in climate and ocean chemistry. These changes were sufficiently large to play a role in the carbon cycle and global climate evolution.
Ji-Eun Kim, Thomas Westerhold, Laia Alegret, Anna Joy Drury, Ursula Röhl, and Elizabeth M. Griffith
Clim. Past, 18, 2631–2641, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2631-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2631-2022, 2022
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This study attempts to gain a better understanding of the marine biological carbon pump and ecosystem functioning under warmer-than-today conditions. Our records from marine sediments show the Pacific tropical marine biological carbon pump was driven by variations in seasonal insolation in the tropics during the Late Cretaceous and may play a key role in modulating climate and the carbon cycle globally in the future.
Anna Joy Drury, Diederik Liebrand, Thomas Westerhold, Helen M. Beddow, David A. Hodell, Nina Rohlfs, Roy H. Wilkens, Mitchell Lyle, David B. Bell, Dick Kroon, Heiko Pälike, and Lucas J. Lourens
Clim. Past, 17, 2091–2117, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2091-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2091-2021, 2021
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We use the first high-resolution southeast Atlantic carbonate record to see how climate dynamics evolved since 30 million years ago (Ma). During ~ 30–13 Ma, eccentricity (orbital circularity) paced carbonate deposition. After the mid-Miocene Climate Transition (~ 14 Ma), precession (Earth's tilt direction) increasingly drove carbonate variability. In the latest Miocene (~ 8 Ma), obliquity (Earth's tilt) pacing appeared, signalling increasing high-latitude influence.
Mitchell Lyle, Anna Joy Drury, Jun Tian, Roy Wilkens, and Thomas Westerhold
Clim. Past, 15, 1715–1739, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1715-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1715-2019, 2019
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Ocean sediment records document changes in Earth’s carbon cycle and ocean productivity. We present 8 Myr CaCO3 and bulk sediment records from seven eastern Pacific scientific drill sites to identify intervals of excess CaCO3 dissolution (high carbon storage in the oceans) and excess burial of plankton hard parts indicating high productivity. We define the regional extent of production intervals and explore the impact of the closure of the Atlantic–Pacific Panama connection on CaCO3 burial.
Christopher J. Hollis, Tom Dunkley Jones, Eleni Anagnostou, Peter K. Bijl, Marlow Julius Cramwinckel, Ying Cui, Gerald R. Dickens, Kirsty M. Edgar, Yvette Eley, David Evans, Gavin L. Foster, Joost Frieling, Gordon N. Inglis, Elizabeth M. Kennedy, Reinhard Kozdon, Vittoria Lauretano, Caroline H. Lear, Kate Littler, Lucas Lourens, A. Nele Meckler, B. David A. Naafs, Heiko Pälike, Richard D. Pancost, Paul N. Pearson, Ursula Röhl, Dana L. Royer, Ulrich Salzmann, Brian A. Schubert, Hannu Seebeck, Appy Sluijs, Robert P. Speijer, Peter Stassen, Jessica Tierney, Aradhna Tripati, Bridget Wade, Thomas Westerhold, Caitlyn Witkowski, James C. Zachos, Yi Ge Zhang, Matthew Huber, and Daniel J. Lunt
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 3149–3206, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-3149-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-3149-2019, 2019
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The Deep-Time Model Intercomparison Project (DeepMIP) is a model–data intercomparison of the early Eocene (around 55 million years ago), the last time that Earth's atmospheric CO2 concentrations exceeded 1000 ppm. Previously, we outlined the experimental design for climate model simulations. Here, we outline the methods used for compilation and analysis of climate proxy data. The resulting climate
atlaswill provide insights into the mechanisms that control past warm climate states.
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.
Thomas Westerhold, Ursula Röhl, Roy H. Wilkens, Philip D. Gingerich, William C. Clyde, Scott L. Wing, Gabriel J. Bowen, and Mary J. Kraus
Clim. Past, 14, 303–319, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-303-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-303-2018, 2018
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Here we present a high-resolution timescale synchronization of continental and marine deposits for one of the most pronounced global warming events, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, which occurred 56 million years ago. New high-resolution age models for the Bighorn Basin Coring Project (BBCP) drill cores help to improve age models for climate records from deep-sea drill cores and for the first time point to a concurrent major change in marine and terrestrial biota 54.25 million years ago.
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.
Joost Frieling, Gert-Jan Reichart, Jack J. Middelburg, Ursula Röhl, Thomas Westerhold, Steven M. Bohaty, and Appy Sluijs
Clim. Past, 14, 39–55, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-39-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-39-2018, 2018
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Past periods of rapid global warming such as the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum are used to study biotic response to climate change. We show that very high peak PETM temperatures in the tropical Atlantic (~ 37 ºC) caused heat stress in several marine plankton groups. However, only slightly cooler temperatures afterwards allowed highly diverse plankton communities to bloom. This shows that tropical plankton communities may be susceptible to extreme warming, but may also recover rapidly.
Thomas Westerhold, Ursula Röhl, Thomas Frederichs, Claudia Agnini, Isabella Raffi, James C. Zachos, and Roy H. Wilkens
Clim. Past, 13, 1129–1152, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1129-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1129-2017, 2017
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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.
Roger D. Flood, Roberto A. Violante, Thomas Gorgas, Ernesto Schwarz, Jens Grützner, Gabriele Uenzelmann-Neben, F. Javier Hernández-Molina, Jennifer Biddle, Guillaume St-Onge, and APVCM workshop participants
Sci. Dril., 22, 49–61, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-49-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-49-2017, 2017
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.
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.
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
Related subject area
Subject: Ocean Dynamics | Archive: Marine Archives | Timescale: Cenozoic
Mean ocean temperature change and decomposition of the benthic δ18O record over the past 4.5 million years
The Eocene-Oligocene Transition in the Paratethys: Boreal Water Ingression and its Paleoceanographic Implications
Impact of the Late Miocene Cooling on the loss of coral reefs in the Central Indo-Pacific
Nonlinear increase in seawater 87Sr ∕ 86Sr in the Oligocene to early Miocene and implications for climate-sensitive weathering
Limited exchange between the deep Pacific and Atlantic oceans during the warm mid-Pliocene and Marine Isotope Stage M2 “glaciation”
Late Cenozoic sea-surface-temperature evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean
Buoyancy forcing: a key driver of northern North Atlantic sea surface temperature variability across multiple timescales
Lipid-biomarker-based sea surface temperature record offshore Tasmania over the last 23 million years
Late Neogene nannofossil assemblages as tracers of ocean circulation and paleoproductivity over the NW Australian shelf
Plio-Pleistocene Perth Basin water temperatures and Leeuwin Current dynamics (Indian Ocean) derived from oxygen and clumped-isotope paleothermometry
Temperate Oligocene surface ocean conditions offshore of Cape Adare, Ross Sea, Antarctica
A revised mid-Pliocene composite section centered on the M2 glacial event for ODP Site 846
Lessons from a high-CO2 world: an ocean view from ∼ 3 million years ago
Late Pliocene Cordilleran Ice Sheet development with warm northeast Pacific sea surface temperatures
Understanding the mechanisms behind high glacial productivity in the southern Brazilian margin
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Paleoceanography and ice sheet variability offshore Wilkes Land, Antarctica – Part 2: Insights from Oligocene–Miocene dinoflagellate cyst assemblages
Variations in Mediterranean–Atlantic exchange across the late Pliocene climate transition
Constraints on ocean circulation at the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum from neodymium isotopes
Expansion and diversification of high-latitude radiolarian assemblages in the late Eocene linked to a cooling event in the southwest Pacific
Microfossil evidence for trophic changes during the Eocene–Oligocene transition in the South Atlantic (ODP Site 1263, Walvis Ridge)
A major change in North Atlantic deep water circulation 1.6 million years ago
Contribution of changes in opal productivity and nutrient distribution in the coastal upwelling systems to Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene climate cooling
Productivity response of calcareous nannoplankton to Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2)
Technical note: Late Pliocene age control and composite depths at ODP Site 982, revisited
Pliocene three-dimensional global ocean temperature reconstruction
Peter U. Clark, Jeremy D. Shakun, Yair Rosenthal, Chenyu Zhu, Patrick J. Bartlein, Jonathan M. Gregory, Peter Köhler, Zhengyu Liu, and Daniel P. Schrag
Clim. Past, 21, 973–1000, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-973-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-973-2025, 2025
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We reconstruct changes in mean ocean temperature (ΔMOT) over the last 4.5 Myr. We find that the ratio of ΔMOT to changes in global mean sea surface temperature was around 0.5 before the Middle Pleistocene transition but was 1 thereafter. We subtract our ΔMOT reconstruction from the global δ18O record to derive the δ18O of seawater. Finally, we develop a theoretical understanding of why the ratio of ΔMOT / ΔGMSST changed over the Plio-Pleistocene.
Mustafa Yücel Kaya, Henk Brinkhuis, Chiara Fioroni, Serdar Görkem Atasoy, Alexis Licht, Dirk Nürnberg, and Taylan Vural
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-479, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-479, 2025
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The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT) marked global cooling and Antarctic glaciation, but its impact on marginal seas is less known. This study analyzes the Karaburun section in the eastern Paratethys, using biostratigraphy and geochemistry to reveal boreal water ingress due to Arctic-Atlantic gateway closure. Findings highlight the interplay of global and regional climate dynamics in shaping marginal marine environments.
Benjamin F. Petrick, Lars Reuning, Miriam Pfeiffer, Gerald Auer, and Lorenz Schwark
Clim. Past, 21, 405–417, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-405-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-405-2025, 2025
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It is known that coral reefs were absent in the central Indo-Pacific during the Early Pliocene. This study uses a new temperature record based on TEX86H biomarkers from the Coral Sea between 11–2 Ma to show a 2 °C cooling in the central Indo-Pacific during the Late Miocene Cooling (7–5.4 Ma). This cooling triggered changes in terrestrial input, ocean circulation, and temperature. These multiple stressors could have caused reef collapses across the central Indo-Pacific.
Heather M. Stoll, Leopoldo D. Pena, Ivan Hernandez-Almeida, José Guitián, Thomas Tanner, and Heiko Pälike
Clim. Past, 20, 25–36, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-25-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-25-2024, 2024
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The Oligocene and early Miocene periods featured dynamic glacial cycles on Antarctica. In this paper, we use Sr isotopes in marine carbonate sediments to document a change in the location and intensity of continental weathering during short periods of very intense Antarctic glaciation. Potentially, the weathering intensity of old continental rocks on Antarctica was reduced during glaciation. We also show improved age models for correlation of Southern Ocean and North Atlantic sediments.
Anna Hauge Braaten, Kim A. Jakob, Sze Ling Ho, Oliver Friedrich, Eirik Vinje Galaasen, Stijn De Schepper, Paul A. Wilson, and Anna Nele Meckler
Clim. Past, 19, 2109–2125, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2109-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2109-2023, 2023
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In the context of understanding current global warming, the middle Pliocene (3.3–3.0 million years ago) is an important interval in Earth's history because atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were similar to levels today. We have reconstructed deep-sea temperatures at two different locations for this period, and find that a very different mode of ocean circulation or mixing existed, with important implications for how heat was transported in the deep ocean.
Frida S. Hoem, Adrián López-Quirós, Suzanna van de Lagemaat, Johan Etourneau, Marie-Alexandrine Sicre, Carlota Escutia, Henk Brinkhuis, Francien Peterse, Francesca Sangiorgi, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 19, 1931–1949, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1931-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1931-2023, 2023
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We present two new sea surface temperature (SST) records in comparison with available SST records to reconstruct South Atlantic paleoceanographic evolution. Our results show a low SST gradient in the Eocene–early Oligocene due to the persistent gyral circulation. A higher SST gradient in the Middle–Late Miocene infers a stronger circumpolar current. The southern South Atlantic was the coldest region in the Southern Ocean and likely the main deep-water formation location in the Middle Miocene.
Bjørg Risebrobakken, Mari F. Jensen, Helene R. Langehaug, Tor Eldevik, Anne Britt Sandø, Camille Li, Andreas Born, Erin Louise McClymont, Ulrich Salzmann, and Stijn De Schepper
Clim. Past, 19, 1101–1123, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1101-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1101-2023, 2023
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In the observational period, spatially coherent sea surface temperatures characterize the northern North Atlantic at multidecadal timescales. We show that spatially non-coherent temperature patterns are seen both in further projections and a past warm climate period with a CO2 level comparable to the future low-emission scenario. Buoyancy forcing is shown to be important for northern North Atlantic temperature patterns.
Suning Hou, Foteini Lamprou, Frida S. Hoem, Mohammad Rizky Nanda Hadju, Francesca Sangiorgi, Francien Peterse, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 19, 787–802, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-787-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-787-2023, 2023
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Neogene climate cooling is thought to be accompanied by increased Equator-to-pole temperature gradients, but mid-latitudes are poorly represented. We use biomarkers to reconstruct a 23 Myr continuous sea surface temperature record of the mid-latitude Southern Ocean. We note a profound mid-latitude cooling which narrowed the latitudinal temperature gradient with the northward expansion of subpolar conditions. We surmise that this reflects the strengthening of the ACC and the expansion of sea ice.
Boris-Theofanis Karatsolis and Jorijntje Henderiks
Clim. Past, 19, 765–786, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-765-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-765-2023, 2023
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Ocean circulation around NW Australia plays a key role in regulating the climate in the area and is characterised by seasonal variations in the activity of a major boundary current named the Leeuwin Current. By investigating nannofossils found in sediment cores recovered from the NW Australian shelf, we reconstructed ocean circulation in the warmer-than-present world from 6 to 3.5 Ma, as mirrored by long-term changes in stratification and nutrient availability.
David De Vleeschouwer, Marion Peral, Marta Marchegiano, Angelina Füllberg, Niklas Meinicke, Heiko Pälike, Gerald Auer, Benjamin Petrick, Christophe Snoeck, Steven Goderis, and Philippe Claeys
Clim. Past, 18, 1231–1253, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1231-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1231-2022, 2022
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The Leeuwin Current transports warm water along the western coast of Australia: from the tropics to the Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes. Therewith, the current influences climate in two ways: first, as a moisture source for precipitation in southwestern Australia; second, as a vehicle for Equator-to-pole heat transport. In this study, we study sediment cores along the Leeuwin Current pathway to understand its ocean–climate interactions between 4 and 2 Ma.
Frida S. Hoem, Luis Valero, Dimitris Evangelinos, Carlota Escutia, Bella Duncan, Robert M. McKay, Henk Brinkhuis, Francesca Sangiorgi, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 17, 1423–1442, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1423-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1423-2021, 2021
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We present new offshore palaeoceanographic reconstructions for the Oligocene (33.7–24.4 Ma) in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Our study of dinoflagellate cysts and lipid biomarkers indicates warm-temperate sea surface conditions. We posit that warm surface-ocean conditions near the continental shelf during the Oligocene promoted increased precipitation and heat delivery towards Antarctica that led to dynamic terrestrial ice sheet volumes in the warmer climate state of the Oligocene.
Timothy D. Herbert, Rocio Caballero-Gill, and Joseph B. Novak
Clim. Past, 17, 1385–1394, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1385-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1385-2021, 2021
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The Pliocene represents a geologically warm period with polar ice restricted to the Antarctic. Nevertheless, variability and ice volume persisted in the Pliocene. This work revisits a classic site on which much of our understanding of Pliocene paleoclimate variability is based and corrects errors in data sets related to ice volume and ocean surface temperature. In particular, it generates an improved representation of an enigmatic glacial episode in Pliocene times (circa 3.3 Ma).
Erin L. McClymont, Heather L. Ford, Sze Ling Ho, Julia C. Tindall, Alan M. Haywood, Montserrat Alonso-Garcia, Ian Bailey, Melissa A. Berke, Kate Littler, Molly O. Patterson, Benjamin Petrick, Francien Peterse, A. Christina Ravelo, Bjørg Risebrobakken, Stijn De Schepper, George E. A. Swann, Kaustubh Thirumalai, Jessica E. Tierney, Carolien van der Weijst, Sarah White, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Michiel L. J. Baatsen, Esther C. Brady, Wing-Le Chan, Deepak Chandan, Ran Feng, Chuncheng Guo, Anna S. von der Heydt, Stephen Hunter, Xiangyi Li, Gerrit Lohmann, Kerim H. Nisancioglu, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, W. Richard Peltier, Christian Stepanek, and Zhongshi Zhang
Clim. Past, 16, 1599–1615, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1599-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1599-2020, 2020
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We examine the sea-surface temperature response to an interval of climate ~ 3.2 million years ago, when CO2 concentrations were similar to today and the near future. Our geological data and climate models show that global mean sea-surface temperatures were 2.3 to 3.2 ºC warmer than pre-industrial climate, that the mid-latitudes and high latitudes warmed more than the tropics, and that the warming was particularly enhanced in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Maria Luisa Sánchez-Montes, Erin L. McClymont, Jeremy M. Lloyd, Juliane Müller, Ellen A. Cowan, and Coralie Zorzi
Clim. Past, 16, 299–313, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-299-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-299-2020, 2020
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In this paper, we present new climate reconstructions in SW Alaska from recovered marine sediments in the Gulf of Alaska. We find that glaciers reached the Gulf of Alaska during a cooling climate 2.9 million years ago, and after that the Cordilleran Ice Sheet continued growing during a global drop in atmospheric CO2 levels. Cordilleran Ice Sheet growth could have been supported by an increase in heat supply to the SW Alaska and warm ocean evaporation–mountain precipitation mechanisms.
Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos, Tainã Marcos Lima Pinho, Cristiano Mazur Chiessi, and Cátia Fernandes Barbosa
Clim. Past, 15, 943–955, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-943-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-943-2019, 2019
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Fossil microorganisms from the last glacial found in marine sediments collected off southern Brazil suggest that more productive austral summer upwelling and more frequent austral winter incursions of nutrient-rich waters from the Plata River boosted regional productivity year-round. While upwelling was more productive due to the higher silicon content from the Southern Ocean, more frequent riverine incursions were modulated by stronger alongshore southwesterly winds.
Julian D. Hartman, Francesca Sangiorgi, Ariadna Salabarnada, Francien Peterse, Alexander J. P. Houben, Stefan Schouten, Henk Brinkhuis, Carlota Escutia, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 14, 1275–1297, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1275-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1275-2018, 2018
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We reconstructed sea surface temperatures for the Oligocene and Miocene periods (34–11 Ma) based on archaeal lipids from a site close to the Wilkes Land coast, Antarctica. Our record suggests generally warm to temperate surface waters: on average 17 °C. Based on the lithology, glacial and interglacial temperatures could be distinguished, showing an average 3 °C offset. The long-term temperature trend resembles the benthic δ18O stack, which may have implications for ice volume reconstructions.
Peter K. Bijl, Alexander J. P. Houben, Julian D. Hartman, Jörg Pross, Ariadna Salabarnada, Carlota Escutia, and Francesca Sangiorgi
Clim. Past, 14, 1015–1033, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1015-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1015-2018, 2018
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We document Southern Ocean surface ocean conditions and changes therein during the Oligocene and Miocene (34–10 Myr ago). We infer profound long-term and short-term changes in ice-proximal oceanographic conditions: sea surface temperature, nutrient conditions and sea ice. Our results point to warm-temperate, oligotrophic, ice-proximal oceanographic conditions. These distinct oceanographic conditions may explain the high amplitude in inferred Oligocene–Miocene Antarctic ice volume changes.
Ángela García-Gallardo, Patrick Grunert, and Werner E. Piller
Clim. Past, 14, 339–350, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-339-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-339-2018, 2018
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We study the variability in Mediterranean–Atlantic exchange, focusing on the surface Atlantic inflow across the mid-Pliocene warm period and the onset of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation, still unresolved by previous works. Oxygen isotope gradients between both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar reveal weak inflow during warm periods that turns stronger during severe glacials and the start of a negative feedback between exchange at the Strait and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
April N. Abbott, Brian A. Haley, Aradhna K. Tripati, and Martin Frank
Clim. Past, 12, 837–847, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-837-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-837-2016, 2016
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The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a brief period when the Earth was in an extreme greenhouse state. We use neodymium isotopes to suggest that during this time deep-ocean circulation was distinct in each basin (North and South Atlanic, Southern, Pacific) with little exchange between. Moreover, the Pacific data show the most variability, suggesting this was a critical region possibly involved in both PETM triggering and remediation.
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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Radiolarian taxa with high-latitude affinities are present from at least the middle Eocene in the SW Pacific and become very abundant in the late Eocene at all investigated sites. A short incursion of low-latitude taxa is observed during the MECO and late Eocene warming event at Site 277. Radiolarian abundance, diversity and taxa with high-latitude affinities increase at Site 277 in two steps in the latest Eocene due to climatic cooling and expansion of cold water masses.
M. Bordiga, J. Henderiks, F. Tori, S. Monechi, R. Fenero, A. Legarda-Lisarri, and E. Thomas
Clim. Past, 11, 1249–1270, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1249-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1249-2015, 2015
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Deep-sea sediments at ODP Site 1263 (Walvis Ridge, South Atlantic) show that marine calcifying algae decreased in abundance and size at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, when the Earth transitioned from a greenhouse to a more glaciated and cooler climate. This decreased the food supply for benthic foraminifer communities. The plankton rapidly responded to fast-changing conditions, such as seasonal nutrient availability, or to threshold-levels in pCO2, cooling and ocean circulation.
N. Khélifi and M. Frank
Clim. Past, 10, 1441–1451, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1441-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1441-2014, 2014
J. Etourneau, C. Ehlert, M. Frank, P. Martinez, and R. Schneider
Clim. Past, 8, 1435–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-1435-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-1435-2012, 2012
M. Dedert, H. M. Stoll, D. Kroon, N. Shimizu, K. Kanamaru, and P. Ziveri
Clim. Past, 8, 977–993, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-977-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-977-2012, 2012
N. Khélifi, M. Sarnthein, and B. D. A. Naafs
Clim. Past, 8, 79–87, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-79-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-79-2012, 2012
H. J. Dowsett, M. M. Robinson, and K. M. Foley
Clim. Past, 5, 769–783, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-5-769-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-5-769-2009, 2009
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Short summary
Here we introduce the Code for Ocean Drilling Data (CODD), a unified and consistent system for integrating disparate data streams such as micropaleontology, physical properties, core images, geochemistry, and borehole logging. As a test case, data from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 154 (Ceara Rise – western equatorial Atlantic) were assembled into a new regional composite benthic stable isotope record covering the last 5 million years.
Here we introduce the Code for Ocean Drilling Data (CODD), a unified and consistent system for...
