Geochemical and palynological measurements from the ODP Leg 189 at Site 1172 on the East Tasman Plateau

A brief (~150 kyr) period of widespread global average surface warming marks the transition between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, ~56 million years ago. This so-called "Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum" (PETM) is associated with the massive injection of 13C-depleted carbon, reflected in a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). Biotic responses include a global abundance peak (acme) of the subtropical dinoflagellate Apectodinium. Here we identify the PETM in a marine sedimentary sequence deposited on the East Tasman Plateau at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1172 and show, based on the organic paleothermometer TEX86, that southwest Pacific sea surface temperatures increased from ~26 °C to ~33°C during the PETM. Such temperatures before, during and after the PETM are >10 °C warmer than predicted by paleoclimate model simulations for this latitude. In part, this discrepancy may be explained by potential seasonal biases in the TEX86 proxy in polar oceans. Additionally, the data suggest that not only Arctic, but also Antarctic temperatures may be underestimated in simulations of ancient greenhouse climates by current generation fully coupled climate models. An early influx of abundant Apectodinium confirms that environmental change preceded the CIE on a global scale. Organic dinoflagellate cyst assemblages suggest a local decrease in the amount of river run off reaching the core site during the PETM, possibly in concert with eustatic rise. Moreover, the assemblages suggest changes in seasonality of the regional hydrological system and storm activity. Finally, significant variation in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages during the PETM indicates that southwest Pacific climates varied significantly over time scales of 103 - 104 years during this event, a finding comparable to similar studies of PETM successions from the New Jersey Shelf.

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Cite this as

Sluijs, Appy, Bijl, Peter K, Schouten, Stefan, Röhl, Ursula, Reichart, Gert-Jan, Brinkhuis, Henk (2011). Dataset: Geochemical and palynological measurements from the ODP Leg 189 at Site 1172 on the East Tasman Plateau. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.756399

DOI retrieved: 2011

Additional Info

Field Value
Imported on November 30, 2024
Last update November 30, 2024
License CC-BY-3.0
Source https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.756399
Author Sluijs, Appy
Given Name Appy
Family Name Sluijs
More Authors
Bijl, Peter K
Schouten, Stefan
Röhl, Ursula
Reichart, Gert-Jan
Brinkhuis, Henk
Source Creation 2011
Publication Year 2011
Resource Type application/zip - filename: Sluijs_2011
Subject Areas
Name: Atmosphere

Name: Lithosphere

Related Identifiers
Title: Southern ocean warming, sea level and hydrological change during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum
Identifier: https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-7-47-2011
Type: DOI
Relation: IsSupplementTo
Year: 2011
Source: Climate of the Past
Authors: Sluijs Appy , Bijl Peter K , Schouten Stefan , Röhl Ursula , Reichart Gert-Jan , Brinkhuis Henk .