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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Markus Raitzsch, Claire Rollion-Bard, Ingo Horn, Grit Steinhoefel, Albert Benthien, Klaus-Uwe Richter, Matthieu Buisson, Pascale Louvat, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 17, 5365–5375, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5365-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5365-2020, 2020
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Catarina Cavaleiro, Antje H. L. Voelker, Heather Stoll, Karl-Heinz Baumann, and Michal Kucera
Clim. Past, 16, 2017–2037, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2017-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2017-2020, 2020
Douglas Lessa, Raphaël Morard, Lukas Jonkers, Igor M. Venancio, Runa Reuter, Adrian Baumeister, Ana Luiza Albuquerque, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 17, 4313–4342, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4313-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4313-2020, 2020
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Lukas Jonkers, Olivier Cartapanis, Michael Langner, Nick McKay, Stefan Mulitza, Anne Strack, and Michal Kucera
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 1053–1081, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1053-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1053-2020, 2020
Sebastian Beil, Wolfgang Kuhnt, Ann Holbourn, Florian Scholz, Julian Oxmann, Klaus Wallmann, Janne Lorenzen, Mohamed Aquit, and El Hassane Chellai
Clim. Past, 16, 757–782, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-757-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-757-2020, 2020
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Takasumi Kurahashi-Nakamura, André Paul, Guy Munhoven, Ute Merkel, and Michael Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 825–840, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-825-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-825-2020, 2020
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Chemical processes in ocean-floor sediments have a large influence on the marine carbon cycle, hence the global climate, at long timescales. We developed a new coupling scheme for a chemical sediment model and a comprehensive climate model. The new coupled model outperformed the original uncoupled climate model in reproducing the global distribution of sediment properties. The sediment model will also act as a
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Jan Goleń, Jarosław Tyszka, Ulf Bickmeyer, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 17, 995–1011, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-995-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-995-2020, 2020
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Anna Jentzen, Joachim Schönfeld, Agnes K. M. Weiner, Manuel F. G. Weinkauf, Dirk Nürnberg, and Michal Kučera
J. Micropalaeontol., 38, 231–247, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-38-231-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-38-231-2019, 2019
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Mattia Greco, Lukas Jonkers, Kerstin Kretschmer, Jelle Bijma, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 16, 3425–3437, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3425-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3425-2019, 2019
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Haruka Takagi, Katsunori Kimoto, Tetsuichi Fujiki, Hiroaki Saito, Christiane Schmidt, Michal Kucera, and Kazuyoshi Moriya
Biogeosciences, 16, 3377–3396, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3377-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3377-2019, 2019
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Andreia Rebotim, Antje Helga Luise Voelker, Lukas Jonkers, Joanna J. Waniek, Michael Schulz, and Michal Kucera
J. Micropalaeontol., 38, 113–131, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-38-113-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-38-113-2019, 2019
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To reconstruct subsurface water conditions using deep-dwelling planktonic foraminifera, we must fully understand how the oxygen isotope signal incorporates into their shell. We report δ18O in four species sampled in the eastern North Atlantic with plankton tows. We assess the size and crust effect on the isotopic δ18O and compared them with predictions from two equations. We reveal different patterns of calcite addition with depth, highlighting the need to perform species-specific calibrations.
Charlotte Breitkreuz, André Paul, and Michael Schulz
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-52, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-52, 2019
Publication in CP not foreseen
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We combined a model simulation of the Last Glacial Maximum ocean with sea surface temperature and calcite oxygen isotope data through data assimilation. The reconstructed ocean state is very similar to the modern and it follows that the employed proxy data do not require an ocean state very different from today's. Sensitivity experiments reveal that data from the deep North Atlantic but also from the global deep Southern Ocean are most important to constrain the Atlantic overturning circulation.
Lukas Jonkers and Michal Kučera
Clim. Past, 15, 881–891, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-881-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-881-2019, 2019
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Fossil plankton assemblages have been widely used to reconstruct SST. In such approaches, full taxonomic resolution is often used. We assess whether this is required for reliable reconstructions as some species may not respond to SST. We find that only a few species are needed for low reconstruction errors but that species selection has a pronounced effect on reconstructions. We suggest that the sensitivity of a reconstruction to species pruning can be used as a measure of its robustness.
Eveline M. Mezger, Lennart J. de Nooijer, Jacqueline Bertlich, Jelle Bijma, Dirk Nürnberg, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 16, 1147–1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1147-2019, 2019
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Seawater salinity is an important factor when trying to reconstruct past ocean conditions. Foraminifera, small organisms living in the sea, produce shells that incorporate more Na at higher salinities. The accuracy of reconstructions depends on the fundamental understanding involved in the incorporation and preservation of the original Na of the shell. In this study, we unravel the Na composition of different components of the shell and describe the relative contribution of these components.
Charlotte Breitkreuz, André Paul, Stefan Mulitza, Javier García-Pintado, and Michael Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2019-32, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2019-32, 2019
Publication in GMD not foreseen
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We present a technique for ocean state estimation based on the combination of a simple data assimilation method with a state reduction approach. The technique proves to be very efficient and successful in reducing the model-data misfit and reconstructing a target ocean circulation from synthetic observations. In an application to Last Glacial Maximum proxy data the model-data misfit is greatly reduced but some misfit remains. Two different ocean states are found with similar model-data misfit.
Nadia Al-Sabouni, Isabel S. Fenton, Richard J. Telford, and Michal Kučera
J. Micropalaeontol., 37, 519–534, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-37-519-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-37-519-2018, 2018
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Jacqueline Bertlich, Dirk Nürnberg, Ed C. Hathorne, Lennart J. de Nooijer, Eveline M. Mezger, Markus Kienast, Steffanie Nordhausen, Gert-Jan Reichart, Joachim Schönfeld, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 15, 5991–6018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5991-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5991-2018, 2018
Andrea Klus, Matthias Prange, Vidya Varma, Louis Bruno Tremblay, and Michael Schulz
Clim. Past, 14, 1165–1178, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1165-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1165-2018, 2018
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Biogeosciences, 15, 4405–4429, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4405-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4405-2018, 2018
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The fossil shells of planktonic foraminifera are widely used to reconstruct past climate conditions. To do so, information about their seasonal and vertical habitat is needed. Here we present an updated version of a planktonic foraminifera model to better understand species-specific habitat dynamics under climate change. This model produces spatially and temporally coherent distribution patterns, which agree well with available observations, and can thus aid the interpretation of proxy records.
Amanda Frigola, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 1607–1626, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-1607-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-1607-2018, 2018
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The application of climate models to study the Middle Miocene Climate Transition, characterized by major Antarctic ice-sheet expansion and global cooling at the interval 15–13 million years ago, is currently hampered by the lack of boundary conditions. To fill this gap, we compiled two internally consistent sets of boundary conditions, including global topography, bathymetry, vegetation and ice volume, for the periods before and after the transition.
Rike Völpel, André Paul, Annegret Krandick, Stefan Mulitza, and Michael Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 3125–3144, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3125-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3125-2017, 2017
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This study presents the implementation of stable water isotopes in the MITgcm and describes the results of an equilibrium simulation under pre-industrial conditions. The model compares well to observational data and measurements of plankton tow records and thus opens wide prospects for long-term simulations in a paleoclimatic context.
Lennart J. de Nooijer, Anieke Brombacher, Antje Mewes, Gerald Langer, Gernot Nehrke, Jelle Bijma, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 14, 3387–3400, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3387-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3387-2017, 2017
Raphaël Morard, Franck Lejzerowicz, Kate F. Darling, Béatrice Lecroq-Bennet, Mikkel Winther Pedersen, Ludovic Orlando, Jan Pawlowski, Stefan Mulitza, Colomban de Vargas, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 14, 2741–2754, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2741-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2741-2017, 2017
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The exploitation of deep-sea sedimentary archive relies on the recovery of mineralized skeletons of pelagic organisms. Planktonic groups leaving preserved remains represent only a fraction of the total marine diversity. Environmental DNA left by non-fossil organisms is a promising source of information for paleo-reconstructions. Here we show how planktonic-derived environmental DNA preserves ecological structure of planktonic communities. We use planktonic foraminifera as a case study.
Lukas Jonkers and Michal Kučera
Clim. Past, 13, 573–586, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-573-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-573-2017, 2017
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Planktonic foraminifera – the most important proxy carriers in palaeoceanography – adjust their seasonal and vertical habitat. They are thought to do so in a way that minimises the change in their environment, implying that proxy records based on these organisms may not capture the full amplitude of past climate change. Here we demonstrate that they indeed track a particular thermal habitat and suggest that this could lead to a 40 % underestimation of reconstructed temperature change.
Philipp M. Munz, Stephan Steinke, Anna Böll, Andreas Lückge, Jeroen Groeneveld, Michal Kucera, and Hartmut Schulz
Clim. Past, 13, 491–509, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-491-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-491-2017, 2017
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We present the results of several independent proxies of summer SST and upwelling SST from the Oman margin indicative of monsoon strength during the early Holocene. In combination with indices of carbonate preservation and bottom water redox conditions, we demonstrate that a persistent solar influence was modulating summer monsoon intensity. Furthermore, bottom water conditions are linked to atmospheric forcing, rather than changes of intermediate water masses.
Andreia Rebotim, Antje H. L. Voelker, Lukas Jonkers, Joanna J. Waniek, Helge Meggers, Ralf Schiebel, Igaratza Fraile, Michael Schulz, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 14, 827–859, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-827-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-827-2017, 2017
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Planktonic foraminifera species depth habitat remains poorly constrained and the existing conceptual models are not sufficiently tested by observational data. Here we present a synthesis of living planktonic foraminifera abundance data in the subtropical eastern North Atlantic from vertical plankton tows. We also test potential environmental factors influencing the species depth habitat and investigate yearly or lunar migration cycles. These findings may impact paleoceanographic studies.
Ella L. Howes, Karina Kaczmarek, Markus Raitzsch, Antje Mewes, Nienke Bijma, Ingo Horn, Sambuddha Misra, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 14, 415–430, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-415-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-415-2017, 2017
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To calculate the seawater carbonate system, proxies for 2 out of 7 parameters are required. The boron isotopic composition of foraminifera shells can be used as a proxy for pH and it has been suggested that B / Ca ratios may act as a proxy for carbonate ion concentration. However, differentiating between the effects of pH and [CO32−] is problematic, as they co-vary in natural systems. To deconvolve the effects, we conducted culture experiments with the planktonic foraminifer Orbulina universa.
Vidya Varma, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 3859–3873, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3859-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3859-2016, 2016
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We compare the results from simulations of the present and the last interglacial, with and without acceleration of the orbital forcing, using a comprehensive coupled climate model. In low latitudes, the simulation of long-term variations in interglacial surface climate is not significantly affected by the use of the acceleration technique and hence model–data comparison of surface variables is therefore not hampered but major repercussions of the orbital forcing are obvious below thermocline.
Rima Rachmayani, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz
Clim. Past, 12, 677–695, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-677-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-677-2016, 2016
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A set of 13 interglacial time slice experiments was carried out using a CCSM3-DGVM to study global climate variability between and within the Quaternary interglaciations of MIS 1, 5, 11, 13, and 15. Seasonal surface temperature anomalies can be explained by local insolation anomalies induced by the astronomical forcing in most regions and by GHG forcing at high latitudes and early Bruhnes interglacials. However, climate feedbacks may modify the surface temperature response in specific regions.
G. Dishon, J. Fisch, I. Horn, K. Kaczmarek, J. Bijma, D. F. Gruber, O. Nir, Y. Popovich, and D. Tchernov
Biogeosciences, 12, 5677–5687, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5677-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5677-2015, 2015
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This paper offers a new methodology to study paleo-coral bleaching events using high-resolution femtosecond Laser Ablation Multiple Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Coral bleaching records only go back several decades, but this new proxy allows the study of bleaching events that occurred tens of thousands of years ago. Unlike other methods, the high-resolution of the method can detect bleaching events that occur over very short time periods, just a few weeks.
L. Jonkers and M. Kučera
Biogeosciences, 12, 2207–2226, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2207-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2207-2015, 2015
A. Mewes, G. Langer, S. Thoms, G. Nehrke, G.-J. Reichart, L. J. de Nooijer, and J. Bijma
Biogeosciences, 12, 2153–2162, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2153-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2153-2015, 2015
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A culture study with the benthic foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii was conducted at varying seawater [Ca2+] and constant [Mg2+]. Results showed optimum growth rates and test thickness at ambient seawater Mg/Ca and a calcite Mg/Ca which is controlled by the relative seawater ratio. Results support the conceptual biomineralization model by Nehrke et al. (2013); however, our refined flux-based model suggests transmembrane transport fractionation that is slightly weaker than expected.
K. Kaczmarek, G. Langer, G. Nehrke, I. Horn, S. Misra, M. Janse, and J. Bijma
Biogeosciences, 12, 1753–1763, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1753-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1753-2015, 2015
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Culture experiments based on a decoupled pH and CO32- chemistry indicate that the δ11B of the test of A. lessonii is related to pH whereas the B/Ca of the foraminiferal shells show a positive correlation with B(OH)4-/HCO3-. The latter observation suggests a competition between B(OH)4- and HCO3- of the culture media for B uptake into the test.
R. Rachmayani, M. Prange, and M. Schulz
Clim. Past, 11, 175–185, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-175-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-175-2015, 2015
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The role of vegetation-precipitation feedbacks in modifying the North African rainfall response to enhanced early to mid-Holocene summer insolation is analysed using the climate-vegetation model CCSM3-DGVM. Dynamic vegetation amplifies the positive early to mid-Holocene summer precipitation anomaly by ca. 20% in the Sahara-Sahel region. The primary vegetation feedback operates through surface latent heat flux anomalies by canopy evapotranspiration and their effect on the African easterly jet.
G. Langer, G. Nehrke, C. Baggini, R. Rodolfo-Metalpa, J. M. Hall-Spencer, and J. Bijma
Biogeosciences, 11, 7363–7368, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-7363-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-7363-2014, 2014
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Specimens of the patellogastropod limpet Patella caerulea were collected within and outside a CO2 vent site at Ischia, Italy. The distribution of different crystal structures across shell sections was analysed. Patella caerulea counteracts shell dissolution in corrosive waters by enhanced production of aragonitic parts of the shell. We conclude that it is not possible to predict the dissolution behaviour of a composite biomineral on the basis of the properties of its constituent mineral.
I. Hessler, S. P. Harrison, M. Kucera, C. Waelbroeck, M.-T. Chen, C. Anderson, A. de Vernal, B. Fréchette, A. Cloke-Hayes, G. Leduc, and L. Londeix
Clim. Past, 10, 2237–2252, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-2237-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-2237-2014, 2014
A. J. Enge, U. Witte, M. Kucera, and P. Heinz
Biogeosciences, 11, 2017–2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-2017-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-2017-2014, 2014
G. Nehrke, N. Keul, G. Langer, L. J. de Nooijer, J. Bijma, and A. Meibom
Biogeosciences, 10, 6759–6767, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6759-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6759-2013, 2013
M. F. G. Weinkauf, T. Moller, M. C. Koch, and M. Kučera
Biogeosciences, 10, 6639–6655, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6639-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6639-2013, 2013
Y. Milker, R. Rachmayani, M. F. G. Weinkauf, M. Prange, M. Raitzsch, M. Schulz, and M. Kučera
Clim. Past, 9, 2231–2252, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2231-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2231-2013, 2013
N. Keul, G. Langer, L. J. de Nooijer, and J. Bijma
Biogeosciences, 10, 6185–6198, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6185-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6185-2013, 2013
R. J. Telford, C. Li, and M. Kucera
Clim. Past, 9, 859–870, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-859-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-859-2013, 2013
P. Bakker, E. J. Stone, S. Charbit, M. Gröger, U. Krebs-Kanzow, S. P. Ritz, V. Varma, V. Khon, D. J. Lunt, U. Mikolajewicz, M. Prange, H. Renssen, B. Schneider, and M. Schulz
Clim. Past, 9, 605–619, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-605-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-605-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Proxy Use-Development-Validation | Archive: Marine Archives | Timescale: Cenozoic
Southern Ocean control on atmospheric CO2 changes across late Pliocene Marine Isotope Stage M2
A clumped isotope calibration of coccoliths at well-constrained culture temperatures for marine temperature reconstructions
Can we reliably reconstruct the mid-Pliocene Warm Period with sparse data and uncertain models?
Paleocene–Eocene age glendonites from the Mid-Norwegian Margin – indicators of cold snaps in the hothouse?
Assessing environmental change associated with early Eocene hyperthermals in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, USA
Technical note: A new online tool for δ18O–temperature conversions
A 15-million-year surface- and subsurface-integrated TEX86 temperature record from the eastern equatorial Atlantic
Sclerochronological evidence of pronounced seasonality from the late Pliocene of the southern North Sea basin and its implications
Pliocene evolution of the tropical Atlantic thermocline depth
Maastrichtian–Rupelian paleoclimates in the southwest Pacific – a critical re-evaluation of biomarker paleothermometry and dinoflagellate cyst paleoecology at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1172
Southern Ocean bottom-water cooling and ice sheet expansion during the middle Miocene climate transition
Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea
OPTiMAL: a new machine learning approach for GDGT-based palaeothermometry
Technical note: A new automated radiolarian image acquisition, stacking, processing, segmentation and identification workflow
Late Paleocene–early Eocene Arctic Ocean sea surface temperatures: reassessing biomarker paleothermometry at Lomonosov Ridge
Surface-circulation change in the southwest Pacific Ocean across the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum: inferences from dinoflagellate cysts and biomarker paleothermometry
A new age model for the Pliocene of the southern North Sea basin: a multi-proxy climate reconstruction
Joint inversion of proxy system models to reconstruct paleoenvironmental time series from heterogeneous data
Mercury anomalies across the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
Reinforcing the North Atlantic backbone: revision and extension of the composite splice at ODP Site 982
Highly variable Pliocene sea surface conditions in the Norwegian Sea
The PRISM4 (mid-Piacenzian) paleoenvironmental reconstruction
Revisiting carbonate chemistry controls on planktic foraminifera Mg / Ca: implications for sea surface temperature and hydrology shifts over the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum and Eocene–Oligocene transition
The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum at DSDP Site 277, Campbell Plateau, southern Pacific Ocean
The bivalve Glycymeris planicostalis as a high-resolution paleoclimate archive for the Rupelian (Early Oligocene) of central Europe
Pliocene diatom and sponge spicule oxygen isotope ratios from the Bering Sea: isotopic offsets and future directions
Re-evaluation of the age model for North Atlantic Ocean Site 982 – arguments for a return to the original chronology
Exploring the controls on element ratios in middle Eocene samples of the benthic foraminifera Oridorsalis umbonatus
Application of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for assessing biogenic silica sample purity in geochemical analyses and palaeoenvironmental research
Suning Hou, Leonie Toebrock, Mart van der Linden, Fleur Rothstegge, Martin Ziegler, Lucas J. Lourens, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 21, 79–93, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-79-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-79-2025, 2025
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Based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and sea surface temperature records west of offshore Tasmania, we find a northward migration and freshening of the subtropical front, not at the M2 glacial maximum but at its deglaciation phase. This oceanographic change aligns well with trends in pCO2. We propose that iceberg discharge from the M2 deglaciation freshened the subtropical front, which together with the other oceanographic changes affected atmosphere–ocean CO2 exchange in the Southern Ocean.
Alexander J. Clark, Ismael Torres-Romero, Madalina Jaggi, Stefano M. Bernasconi, and Heather M. Stoll
Clim. Past, 20, 2081–2101, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2081-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2081-2024, 2024
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Coccoliths are abundant in sediments across the world’s oceans, yet it is difficult to apply traditional carbon or oxygen isotope methodologies for temperature reconstructions. We show that our coccolith clumped isotope temperature calibration with well-constrained temperatures systematically differs from inorganic carbonate calibrations. We suggest the use of our well-constrained calibration for future coccolith carbonate temperature reconstructions.
James D. Annan, Julia C. Hargreaves, Thorsten Mauritsen, Erin McClymont, and Sze Ling Ho
Clim. Past, 20, 1989–1999, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1989-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1989-2024, 2024
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We have created a new global surface temperature reconstruction of the climate of the mid-Pliocene Warm Period, representing the period roughly 3.2 million years before the present day. We estimate that the globally averaged mean temperature was around 3.9 °C warmer than it was in pre-industrial times, but there is significant uncertainty in this value.
Madeleine L. Vickers, Morgan T. Jones, Jack Longman, David Evans, Clemens V. Ullmann, Ella Wulfsberg Stokke, Martin Vickers, Joost Frieling, Dustin T. Harper, Vincent J. Clementi, and IODP Expedition 396 Scientists
Clim. Past, 20, 1–23, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1-2024, 2024
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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.
William Rush, Jean Self-Trail, Yang Zhang, Appy Sluijs, Henk Brinkhuis, James Zachos, James G. Ogg, and Marci Robinson
Clim. Past, 19, 1677–1698, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1677-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1677-2023, 2023
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The Eocene contains several brief warming periods referred to as hyperthermals. Studying these events and how they varied between locations can help provide insight into our future warmer world. This study provides a characterization of two of these events in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA. The records of climate that we measured demonstrate significant changes during this time period, but the type and timing of these changes highlight the complexity of climatic changes.
Daniel E. Gaskell and Pincelli M. Hull
Clim. Past, 19, 1265–1274, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1265-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1265-2023, 2023
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One of the most common ways of reconstructing temperatures in the geologic past is by analyzing oxygen isotope ratios in fossil shells. However, converting these data to temperatures can be a technically complicated task. Here, we present a new online tool that automates this task.
Carolien M. H. van der Weijst, Koen J. van der Laan, Francien Peterse, Gert-Jan Reichart, Francesca Sangiorgi, Stefan Schouten, Tjerk J. T. Veenstra, and Appy Sluijs
Clim. Past, 18, 1947–1962, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1947-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1947-2022, 2022
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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.
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.
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.
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
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...
