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Scaled biotic disruption during early Eocene global warming events

Scaled biotic disruption during early Eocene global warming events
Scaled biotic disruption during early Eocene global warming events
Late Paleocene and early Eocene hyperthermals are transient warming events associated with massive perturbations of the global carbon cycle, and are considered partial analogues for current anthropogenic climate change. Because the magnitude of carbon release varied between the events, they are natural experiments ideal for exploring the relationship between carbon cycle perturbations, climate change and biotic response. Here we quantify marine biotic variability through three million years of the early Eocene that include five hyperthermals, utilizing a method that allows us to integrate the records of different plankton groups through scenarios ranging from background to major extinction events. Our long time-series calcareous nannoplankton record indicates a scaling of biotic disruption to climate change associated with the amount of carbon released during the various hyperthermals. Critically, only the three largest hyperthermals, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2) and the I1 event, show above-background variance, suggesting that the magnitude of carbon input and associated climate change needs to surpass a threshold value to cause significant biotic disruption.
1726-4170
4679-4688
Gibbs, S.J.
82dfbcbc-3a8a-40da-8a80-fe7ad83f3110
Bown, P.R.
366246c0-8af5-4444-991f-7231257808eb
Murphy, B.H.
509c62ec-ac0b-4291-b696-a0e9332119ac
Sluijs, A.
4f68782c-15c3-4d42-ae22-8ffb13887dc6
Edgar, K.M.
64ceab33-7d48-49d2-aac8-c6f1366576b1
Pälike, H.
b9bf7798-ad8c-479b-8487-dd9a30a61fa5
Bolton, C.T.
a461c727-269e-49c0-a580-f8e49c5bac8e
Zachos, J.C.
2b8451ab-989c-4519-ad8f-208df1fba6eb
Gibbs, S.J.
82dfbcbc-3a8a-40da-8a80-fe7ad83f3110
Bown, P.R.
366246c0-8af5-4444-991f-7231257808eb
Murphy, B.H.
509c62ec-ac0b-4291-b696-a0e9332119ac
Sluijs, A.
4f68782c-15c3-4d42-ae22-8ffb13887dc6
Edgar, K.M.
64ceab33-7d48-49d2-aac8-c6f1366576b1
Pälike, H.
b9bf7798-ad8c-479b-8487-dd9a30a61fa5
Bolton, C.T.
a461c727-269e-49c0-a580-f8e49c5bac8e
Zachos, J.C.
2b8451ab-989c-4519-ad8f-208df1fba6eb

Gibbs, S.J., Bown, P.R., Murphy, B.H., Sluijs, A., Edgar, K.M., Pälike, H., Bolton, C.T. and Zachos, J.C. (2012) Scaled biotic disruption during early Eocene global warming events. Biogeosciences, 9 (11), 4679-4688. (doi:10.5194/bg-9-4679-2012).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Late Paleocene and early Eocene hyperthermals are transient warming events associated with massive perturbations of the global carbon cycle, and are considered partial analogues for current anthropogenic climate change. Because the magnitude of carbon release varied between the events, they are natural experiments ideal for exploring the relationship between carbon cycle perturbations, climate change and biotic response. Here we quantify marine biotic variability through three million years of the early Eocene that include five hyperthermals, utilizing a method that allows us to integrate the records of different plankton groups through scenarios ranging from background to major extinction events. Our long time-series calcareous nannoplankton record indicates a scaling of biotic disruption to climate change associated with the amount of carbon released during the various hyperthermals. Critically, only the three largest hyperthermals, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2) and the I1 event, show above-background variance, suggesting that the magnitude of carbon input and associated climate change needs to surpass a threshold value to cause significant biotic disruption.

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Published date: 2012
Organisations: Paleooceanography & Palaeoclimate

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 348011
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/348011
ISSN: 1726-4170
PURE UUID: 21cdcc4f-b318-4470-9615-5497c0a28a38

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Date deposited: 05 Feb 2013 12:01
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 12:54

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Contributors

Author: S.J. Gibbs
Author: P.R. Bown
Author: B.H. Murphy
Author: A. Sluijs
Author: K.M. Edgar
Author: H. Pälike
Author: C.T. Bolton
Author: J.C. Zachos

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