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Implications of reduced turbidity current and landslide activity for the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum - evidence from two distal, deep-water sites

Implications of reduced turbidity current and landslide activity for the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum - evidence from two distal, deep-water sites
Implications of reduced turbidity current and landslide activity for the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum - evidence from two distal, deep-water sites
Previous studies propose that submarine landslides and turbidity currents may become more likely due to future rapid global warming. Determining whether global warming increases likelihood assists in assessment of landslide-triggered tsunami hazards and risk to seafloor structures. Other studies propose that landslides helped to trigger past rapid climate change due to sudden release of gas hydrates. Two deep-water turbidite records show prolonged hiatuses in turbidity current activity during the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum (IETM) at ?55 Ma. The IETM represents a possible proxy for future anthropogenically-induced climate change. It is likely that our records mainly represent large and fast moving disintegrative submarine landslides. Statistical analysis of long term (>2.3 Myr) records shows that turbidity current frequency significantly decreased after the IETM. Our results indicate that rapid climate change does not necessarily cause increased turbidity current activity, and do not provide evidence for landslides as a primary trigger for the IETM.
IETM, PETM, submarine landslide, gas hydrate, geohazard, global warming
0012-821X
102-115
Clare, Michael
b26da858-9c08-4784-aaa9-7092efcd94bd
Talling, Peter
1cbac5ec-a9f8-4868-94fe-6203f30b47cf
Hunt, J
62e3fb83-e4b3-4404-bdcd-cb50f66ec0af
Clare, Michael
b26da858-9c08-4784-aaa9-7092efcd94bd
Talling, Peter
1cbac5ec-a9f8-4868-94fe-6203f30b47cf
Hunt, J
62e3fb83-e4b3-4404-bdcd-cb50f66ec0af

Clare, Michael, Talling, Peter and Hunt, J (2015) Implications of reduced turbidity current and landslide activity for the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum - evidence from two distal, deep-water sites. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 420, 102-115. (doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.03.022).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Previous studies propose that submarine landslides and turbidity currents may become more likely due to future rapid global warming. Determining whether global warming increases likelihood assists in assessment of landslide-triggered tsunami hazards and risk to seafloor structures. Other studies propose that landslides helped to trigger past rapid climate change due to sudden release of gas hydrates. Two deep-water turbidite records show prolonged hiatuses in turbidity current activity during the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum (IETM) at ?55 Ma. The IETM represents a possible proxy for future anthropogenically-induced climate change. It is likely that our records mainly represent large and fast moving disintegrative submarine landslides. Statistical analysis of long term (>2.3 Myr) records shows that turbidity current frequency significantly decreased after the IETM. Our results indicate that rapid climate change does not necessarily cause increased turbidity current activity, and do not provide evidence for landslides as a primary trigger for the IETM.

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Accepted/In Press date: March 2015
Published date: 15 June 2015
Keywords: IETM, PETM, submarine landslide, gas hydrate, geohazard, global warming
Organisations: Geology & Geophysics, Marine Geoscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 375162
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/375162
ISSN: 0012-821X
PURE UUID: a24694b3-dcac-42f7-9212-9bd94be69f8e

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Date deposited: 13 Mar 2015 13:28
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 19:20

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Contributors

Author: Michael Clare
Author: Peter Talling
Author: J Hunt

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