New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge
The late Paleocene thermal maximum (LPTM) was a dramatic, short‐term global warming event that occurred ∼55 Ma. Warming of high‐latitude surface waters and global deep waters during the LPTM has been well documented; however, current data suggest that subtropical and tropical sea surface temperature...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
1999
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j |
id |
ftcarolinadr:cdr.lib.unc.edu:pn89dg45c |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcarolinadr:cdr.lib.unc.edu:pn89dg45c 2023-10-01T03:59:01+02:00 New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge Thomas, Deborah J. Bralower, Timothy J. Zachos, James C. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1999 https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j English eng https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Paleoceanography, 14(5) Article 1999 ftcarolinadr https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 2023-09-02T22:30:43Z The late Paleocene thermal maximum (LPTM) was a dramatic, short‐term global warming event that occurred ∼55 Ma. Warming of high‐latitude surface waters and global deep waters during the LPTM has been well documented; however, current data suggest that subtropical and tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) did not change during the event. Conventional paradigms of global climate change, such as CO2‐induced greenhouse warming, predict greater warming in the high latitudes than in the tropics or subtropics but, nonetheless, cannot account for the stable tropical/subtropical SSTs. We measured the stable isotope values of well‐preserved late Paleocene to early Eocene planktonic foraminifera from South Atlantic Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 527 to evaluate the subtropical response to the climatic and environmental changes of the LPTM. Planktonic foraminiferal δ18O values at Site 527 decrease by ∼0.94‰ from pre‐LPTM to excursion values, providing the first evidence for subtropical warming during the LPTM. We estimate that subtropical South Atlantic SSTs warmed by at least ∼1°–4°C, on the basis of possible changes in evaporation and precipitation. The new evidence for subtropical SST warming supports a greenhouse mechanism for global warming involving elevated atmospheric CO2 levels. Article in Journal/Newspaper Planktonic foraminifera Carolina Digital Repository (UNC - University of North Carolina) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Carolina Digital Repository (UNC - University of North Carolina) |
op_collection_id |
ftcarolinadr |
language |
English |
description |
The late Paleocene thermal maximum (LPTM) was a dramatic, short‐term global warming event that occurred ∼55 Ma. Warming of high‐latitude surface waters and global deep waters during the LPTM has been well documented; however, current data suggest that subtropical and tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) did not change during the event. Conventional paradigms of global climate change, such as CO2‐induced greenhouse warming, predict greater warming in the high latitudes than in the tropics or subtropics but, nonetheless, cannot account for the stable tropical/subtropical SSTs. We measured the stable isotope values of well‐preserved late Paleocene to early Eocene planktonic foraminifera from South Atlantic Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 527 to evaluate the subtropical response to the climatic and environmental changes of the LPTM. Planktonic foraminiferal δ18O values at Site 527 decrease by ∼0.94‰ from pre‐LPTM to excursion values, providing the first evidence for subtropical warming during the LPTM. We estimate that subtropical South Atlantic SSTs warmed by at least ∼1°–4°C, on the basis of possible changes in evaporation and precipitation. The new evidence for subtropical SST warming supports a greenhouse mechanism for global warming involving elevated atmospheric CO2 levels. |
author2 |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Thomas, Deborah J. Bralower, Timothy J. Zachos, James C. |
spellingShingle |
Thomas, Deborah J. Bralower, Timothy J. Zachos, James C. New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge |
author_facet |
Thomas, Deborah J. Bralower, Timothy J. Zachos, James C. |
author_sort |
Thomas, Deborah J. |
title |
New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge |
title_short |
New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge |
title_full |
New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge |
title_fullStr |
New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge |
title_full_unstemmed |
New evidence for subtropical warming during the Late Paleocene thermal maximum: Stable isotopes from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 527, Walvis Ridge |
title_sort |
new evidence for subtropical warming during the late paleocene thermal maximum: stable isotopes from deep sea drilling project site 527, walvis ridge |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j |
genre |
Planktonic foraminifera |
genre_facet |
Planktonic foraminifera |
op_source |
Paleoceanography, 14(5) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/n296x747j |
op_rights |
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.17615/vfj3-4868 |
_version_ |
1778532412158902272 |