Articles | Volume 17, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-703-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-703-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Mar 2021
Research article |
| 26 Mar 2021
| 26 Mar 2021
Atmospheric carbon dioxide variations across the middle Miocene climate transition
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Leobener Straße 8, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und
Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
Jelle Bijma
Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und
Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
Torsten Bickert
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Leobener Straße 8, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Michael Schulz
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Leobener Straße 8, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Ann Holbourn
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Michal Kučera
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Leobener Straße 8, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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Elwyn de la Vega, Markus Raitzsch, Gavin L. Foster, Jelle Bijma, Ulysses S. Ninnemann, Michal Kucera, Tali Lea Babila, Jessica Crumpton Banks, Mohamed M. Ezat, and Audrey Morley
Biogeosciences, 22, 6765–6785, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6765-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6765-2025, 2025
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The boron isotopic composition (δ11B) of foraminifera shells is an established proxy for the reconstruction of ocean pH. Applications to the Arctic oceans are however limited as robust calibrations in these regions are lacking. Here, we present a new calibration linking δ11B measured in two high-latitude foraminifera species to seawater pH. We show that the δ11B of the species analysed is well correlated with seawater pH and that this calibration can be applied to the paleorecord.
Lukas Jonkers, Martina Hollstein, Michael Siccha, and Michal Kucera
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-599, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-599, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Palaeoclimate data can provide a long-term perspective on climate change and serve as an benchmark for climate models. We have compiled a multi-parameter marine palaeoclimate data synthesis that contains time series spanning 0 to 130,000 years ago with rich metadata to facilitate reuse. We describe the methodology, contents and format of version 2 of this synthesis that presents a large increase in spatiotemporal coverage. We end with recommendations for palaeodata stewardship.
Jelle Bijma, Mathilde Hagens, Jens Hammes, Noah Planavsky, Philip A. E. Pogge von Strandmann, Tom Reershemius, Christopher T. Reinhard, Phil Renforth, Tim Jesper Suhrhoff, Sara Vicca, Arthur Vienne, and Dieter A. Wolf-Gladrow
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2740, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2740, 2025
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Enhanced rock weathering is a nature based negative emission technology, that permanently stores CO2. It requires rock-flour to be added to arable land with the help of farmers. To be eligible for carbon credits calls for a simple but scientifically solid, so called, Monitoring, Reporting & Verification” (MRV). We demonstrate that the commonly used carbon-based accounting is ill-suited to close the balance in open systems such as arable land, and argue for cation-based accounting strategy.
Lukas Jonkers, Tonke Strack, Montserrat Alonso-Garcia, Simon D'haenens, Robert Huber, Michal Kucera, Iván Hernández-Almeida, Chloe L. C. Jones, Brett Metcalfe, Rajeev Saraswat, Lóránd Silye, Sanjay K. Verma, Muhamad Naim Abd Malek, Gerald Auer, Cátia F. Barbosa, Maria A. Barcena, Karl-Heinz Baumann, Flavia Boscolo-Galazzo, Joeven Austine S. Calvelo, Lucilla Capotondi, Martina Caratelli, Jorge Cardich, Humberto Carvajal-Chitty, Markéta Chroustová, Helen K. Coxall, Renata M. de Mello, Anne de Vernal, Paula Diz, Kirsty M. Edgar, Helena L. Filipsson, Ángela Fraguas, Heather L. Furlong, Giacomo Galli, Natalia L. García Chapori, Robyn Granger, Jeroen Groeneveld, Adil Imam, Rebecca Jackson, David Lazarus, Julie Meilland, Marína Molčan Matejová, Raphael Morard, Caterina Morigi, Sven N. Nielsen, Diana Ochoa, Maria Rose Petrizzo, Andrés S. Rigual-Hernández, Marina C. Rillo, Matthew L. Staitis, Gamze Tanık, Raúl Tapia, Nishant Vats, Bridget S. Wade, and Anna E. Weinmann
J. Micropalaeontol., 44, 145–168, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-44-145-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-44-145-2025, 2025
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Our study provides guidelines improving the reuse of marine microfossil assemblage data, which are valuable for understanding past ecosystems and environmental change. Based on a survey of 113 researchers, we identified key data attributes required for effective reuse. Analysis of a selection of datasets available online reveals a gap between the attributes scientists consider essential and the data currently available, highlighting the need for clearer data documentation and sharing practices.
Pauline Cornuault, Luc Beaufort, Heiko Pälike, Torsten Bickert, Karl-Heinz Baumann, and Michal Kucera
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-198, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-198, 2025
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We present new high-resolution data of the relative contribution of the two main pelagic carbonate producers (coccoliths and foraminifera) to the total pelagic carbonate production from the tropical Atlantic in past warm periods since the Miocene. Our findings suggests that the two groups responded differently to orbital forcing and oceanic changes in tropical ocean, but their proportion changes did not drive the changes in overall pelagic carbonate deposition.
Brian R. Crow, Lev Tarasov, Michael Schulz, and Matthias Prange
Clim. Past, 20, 281–296, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-281-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-281-2024, 2024
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An abnormally warm period around 400,000 years ago is thought to have resulted in a large melt event for the Greenland Ice Sheet. Using a sequence of climate model simulations connected to an ice model, we estimate a 50 % melt of Greenland compared to today. Importantly, we explore how the exact methodology of connecting the temperatures and precipitation from the climate model to the ice sheet model can influence these results and show that common methods could introduce errors.
Sabrina Hohmann, Michal Kucera, and Anne de Vernal
Clim. Past, 19, 2027–2051, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2027-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2027-2023, 2023
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Drivers for dinocyst assemblage compositions differ regionally and through time. Shifts in the assemblages can sometimes only be interpreted robustly by locally and sometimes globally calibrated transfer functions, questioning the reliability of environmental reconstructions. We suggest the necessity of a thorough evaluation of transfer function performance and significance for downcore applications to disclose the drivers for present and fossil dinocyst assemblages in a studied core location.
Michal Kučera and Geert-Jan A. Brummer
J. Micropalaeontol., 42, 33–34, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-42-33-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-42-33-2023, 2023
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.
Franziska Tell, Lukas Jonkers, Julie Meilland, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 19, 4903–4927, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4903-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4903-2022, 2022
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This study analyses the production of calcite shells formed by one of the main Arctic pelagic calcifiers, the foraminifera N. pachyderma. Using vertically resolved profiles of shell concentration, size and weight, we show that calcification occurs throughout the upper 300 m with an average production flux below the calcification zone of 8 mg CaCO3 m−2 d−1 representing 23 % of the total pelagic biogenic carbonate production. The production flux is attenuated in the twilight zone by dissolution.
Takasumi Kurahashi-Nakamura, André Paul, Ute Merkel, and Michael Schulz
Clim. Past, 18, 1997–2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1997-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1997-2022, 2022
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With a comprehensive Earth-system model including the global carbon cycle, we simulated the climate state during the last glacial maximum. We demonstrated that the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere both in the modern (pre-industrial) age (~280 ppm) and in the glacial age (~190 ppm) can be reproduced by the model with a common configuration by giving reasonable model forcing and total ocean inventories of carbon and other biogeochemical matter for the respective ages.
Stefan Mulitza, Torsten Bickert, Helen C. Bostock, Cristiano M. Chiessi, Barbara Donner, Aline Govin, Naomi Harada, Enqing Huang, Heather Johnstone, Henning Kuhnert, Michael Langner, Frank Lamy, Lester Lembke-Jene, Lorraine Lisiecki, Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, Lars Max, Mahyar Mohtadi, Gesine Mollenhauer, Juan Muglia, Dirk Nürnberg, André Paul, Carsten Rühlemann, Janne Repschläger, Rajeev Saraswat, Andreas Schmittner, Elisabeth L. Sikes, Robert F. Spielhagen, and Ralf Tiedemann
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2553–2611, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2553-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2553-2022, 2022
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Stable isotope ratios of foraminiferal shells from deep-sea sediments preserve key information on the variability of ocean circulation and ice volume. We present the first global atlas of harmonized raw downcore oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of various planktonic and benthic foraminiferal species. The atlas is a foundation for the analyses of the history of Earth system components, for finding future coring sites, and for teaching marine stratigraphy and paleoceanography.
Brian R. Crow, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz
Clim. Past, 18, 775–792, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-775-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-775-2022, 2022
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To better understand the climate conditions which lead to extensive melting of the Greenland ice sheet, we used climate models to reconstruct the climate conditions of the warmest period of the last 800 000 years, which was centered around 410 000 years ago. Surprisingly, we found that atmospheric circulation changes may have acted to reduce the melt of the ice sheet rather than enhance it, despite the extensive warmth of the time.
Geert-Jan A. Brummer and Michal Kučera
J. Micropalaeontol., 41, 29–74, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-41-29-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-41-29-2022, 2022
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To aid researchers working with living planktonic foraminifera, we provide a comprehensive review of names that we consider appropriate for extant species. We discuss the reasons for the decisions we made and provide a list of species and genus-level names as well as other names that have been used in the past but are considered inappropriate for living taxa, stating the reasons.
Lukas Jonkers, Geert-Jan A. Brummer, Julie Meilland, Jeroen Groeneveld, and Michal Kucera
Clim. Past, 18, 89–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-89-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-89-2022, 2022
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The variability in the geochemistry among individual foraminifera is used to reconstruct seasonal to interannual climate variability. This method requires that each foraminifera shell accurately records environmental conditions, which we test here using a sediment trap time series. Even in the absence of environmental variability, planktonic foraminifera display variability in their stable isotope ratios that needs to be considered in the interpretation of individual foraminifera data.
Lukas Jonkers, Oliver Bothe, and Michal Kucera
Clim. Past, 17, 2577–2581, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2577-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2577-2021, 2021
Julie Meilland, Michael Siccha, Maike Kaffenberger, Jelle Bijma, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 18, 5789–5809, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5789-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5789-2021, 2021
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Planktonic foraminifera population dynamics has long been assumed to be controlled by synchronous reproduction and ontogenetic vertical migration (OVM). Due to contradictory observations, this concept became controversial. We here test it in the Atlantic ocean for four species of foraminifera representing the main clades. Our observations support the existence of synchronised reproduction and OVM but show that more than half of the population does not follow the canonical trajectory.
Jutta E. Wollenburg, Jelle Bijma, Charlotte Cremer, Ulf Bickmeyer, and Zora Mila Colomba Zittier
Biogeosciences, 18, 3903–3915, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3903-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3903-2021, 2021
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Cultured at in situ high-pressure conditions Cibicides and Cibicidoides taxa develop lasting ectoplasmic structures that cannot be retracted or resorbed. An ectoplasmic envelope surrounds their test and may protect the shell, e.g. versus carbonate aggressive bottom water conditions. Ectoplasmic roots likely anchor the specimens in areas of strong bottom water currents, trees enable them to elevate themselves above ground, and twigs stabilize and guide the retractable pseudopodial network.
Charlotte L. Spencer-Jones, Erin L. McClymont, Nicole J. Bale, Ellen C. Hopmans, Stefan Schouten, Juliane Müller, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Claire Allen, Torsten Bickert, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Elaine Mawbey, Victoria Peck, Aleksandra Svalova, and James A. Smith
Biogeosciences, 18, 3485–3504, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, 2021
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Long-term ocean temperature records are needed to fully understand the impact of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are powerful tools for reconstructing ocean temperature but can be difficult to apply to the Southern Ocean. Our results show active GDGT synthesis in relatively warm depths of the ocean. This research improves the application of GDGT palaeoceanographic proxies in the Southern Ocean.
Delphine Dissard, Gert Jan Reichart, Christophe Menkes, Morgan Mangeas, Stephan Frickenhaus, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 18, 423–439, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-423-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-423-2021, 2021
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Results from a data set acquired from living foraminifera T. sacculifer collected from surface waters are presented, allowing us to establish a new Mg/Ca–Sr/Ca–temperature equation improving temperature reconstructions. When combining equations, δ18Ow can be reconstructed with a precision of ± 0.5 ‰, while successive reconstructions involving Mg/Ca and δ18Oc preclude salinity reconstruction with a precision better than ± 1.69. A new direct linear fit to reconstruct salinity could be established.
Kaveh Purkiani, André Paul, Annemiek Vink, Maren Walter, Michael Schulz, and Matthias Haeckel
Biogeosciences, 17, 6527–6544, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6527-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6527-2020, 2020
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There has been a steady increase in interest in mining of deep-sea minerals in the eastern Pacific Ocean recently. The ocean state in this region is known to be highly influenced by rotating bodies of water (eddies), some of which can travel long distances in the ocean and impact the deeper layers of the ocean. Better insight into the variability of eddy activity in this region is of great help to mitigate the impact of the benthic ecosystem from future potential deep-sea mining activity.
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Short summary
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.
At approximately 14 Ma, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet expanded to almost its current extent, but...
