Transient Middle Eocene atmospheric CO2 and temperature variations
Bijl, P.K., Houben, A.J.P., Schouten, S., Bohaty, S.M., Sluijs, A., Reichart, G.-J., Sinninghe Damste, J.S. and Brinkhuis, H. (2010) Transient Middle Eocene atmospheric CO2 and temperature variations. Science, 330, (6005), 819-821. (doi:10.1126/science.1193654)
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Description/Abstract
The long-term warmth of the Eocene (~56 to 34 million years ago) is commonly associated with elevated partial pressure of atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2). However, a direct relationship between the two has not been established for short-term climate perturbations. We reconstructed changes in both pCO2 and temperature over an episode of transient global warming called the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO; ~40 million years ago). Organic molecular paleothermometry indicates a warming of southwest Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) by 3° to 6°C. Reconstructions of pCO2 indicate a concomitant increase by a factor of 2 to 3. The marked consistency between SST and pCO2 trends during the MECO suggests that elevated pCO2 played a major role in global warming during the MECO.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0036-8075 (print) |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences |
| Divisions: | University Structure - Pre August 2011 > School of Ocean & Earth Science (SOC/SOES) |
| ePrint ID: | 174125 |
| Deposited On: | 10 Feb 2011 16:21 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Mar 2012 13:16 |
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