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Spatial and temporal patterns in petrogenic organic carbon mobilisation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Spatial and temporal patterns in petrogenic organic carbon mobilisation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
Spatial and temporal patterns in petrogenic organic carbon mobilisation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a transient global warming event and is recognized in the geologic record by a prolonged negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). The onset of the CIE was due to a rapid influx of 13C-depleted carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system. However, the mechanisms required to sustain the negative CIE remains unclear. Enhanced mobilization and oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon (OCpetro) has been invoked to explain elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations after the onset of the CIE. However, existing evidence is limited to the mid-latitudes and subtropics. Here, we determine whether: (a) enhanced mobilization and subsequent burial of OCpetro in marine sediments was a global phenomenon; and (b) whether it occurred throughout the PETM. To achieve this, we utilize a lipid biomarker approach to trace and quantify OCpetro burial in a global compilation of PETM-aged shallow marine sites (n = 7, including five new sites). Our results confirm that OCpetro mass accumulation rates (MARs) increased within the subtropics and mid-latitudes during the PETM, consistent with evidence of higher physical erosion rates and intense episodic rainfall events. High-latitude sites do not exhibit drastic changes in the source of organic carbon during the PETM and OCpetro MARs increase slightly or remain stable, perhaps due a more stable hydrological regime. Crucially, we also demonstrate that OCpetro MARs remained elevated during the recovery phase of the PETM. Although OCpetro oxidation was likely an important positive feedback mechanism throughout the PETM, we show that this feedback was both spatially and temporally variable.
biomarkers, carbon cycling, Eocene, paleoclimate, PETM
2572-4525
Hollingsworth, E.H.
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Elling, F.J.
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Badger, M.P.S.
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Pancost, R.D.
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Dickson, A.J.
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Rees-Owen, R.L.
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Papadomanolaki, N.M.
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Pearson, A.
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Sluijs, A.
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Freeman, K.H.
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Baczynski, A.A.
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Foster, G.L.
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Whiteside, J.H.
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Inglis, G.N.
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Hollingsworth, E.H.
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Elling, F.J.
2f629db1-41f8-47cd-8025-5ca75d31ed44
Badger, M.P.S.
8baae9f2-b957-4bdd-9219-1423ae0ec4ef
Pancost, R.D.
5914e19e-7777-4304-9fd8-86e2e9cfe8a1
Dickson, A.J.
8dbfdd9a-60b1-4bf1-adf2-4c8b0360f794
Rees-Owen, R.L.
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Papadomanolaki, N.M.
1151440a-c3af-413a-8631-eb905130e2b4
Pearson, A.
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Sluijs, A.
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Freeman, K.H.
d9200932-f523-44ed-a2de-da760d145ff0
Baczynski, A.A.
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Foster, G.L.
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Whiteside, J.H.
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Inglis, G.N.
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Hollingsworth, E.H., Elling, F.J., Badger, M.P.S., Pancost, R.D., Dickson, A.J., Rees-Owen, R.L., Papadomanolaki, N.M., Pearson, A., Sluijs, A., Freeman, K.H., Baczynski, A.A., Foster, G.L., Whiteside, J.H. and Inglis, G.N. (2024) Spatial and temporal patterns in petrogenic organic carbon mobilisation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 39 (2), [e2023PA004773]. (doi:10.1029/2023PA004773).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a transient global warming event and is recognized in the geologic record by a prolonged negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). The onset of the CIE was due to a rapid influx of 13C-depleted carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system. However, the mechanisms required to sustain the negative CIE remains unclear. Enhanced mobilization and oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon (OCpetro) has been invoked to explain elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations after the onset of the CIE. However, existing evidence is limited to the mid-latitudes and subtropics. Here, we determine whether: (a) enhanced mobilization and subsequent burial of OCpetro in marine sediments was a global phenomenon; and (b) whether it occurred throughout the PETM. To achieve this, we utilize a lipid biomarker approach to trace and quantify OCpetro burial in a global compilation of PETM-aged shallow marine sites (n = 7, including five new sites). Our results confirm that OCpetro mass accumulation rates (MARs) increased within the subtropics and mid-latitudes during the PETM, consistent with evidence of higher physical erosion rates and intense episodic rainfall events. High-latitude sites do not exhibit drastic changes in the source of organic carbon during the PETM and OCpetro MARs increase slightly or remain stable, perhaps due a more stable hydrological regime. Crucially, we also demonstrate that OCpetro MARs remained elevated during the recovery phase of the PETM. Although OCpetro oxidation was likely an important positive feedback mechanism throughout the PETM, we show that this feedback was both spatially and temporally variable.

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Accepted/In Press date: 16 January 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 31 January 2024
Published date: February 2024
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2024. The Authors.
Keywords: biomarkers, carbon cycling, Eocene, paleoclimate, PETM

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 486335
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/486335
ISSN: 2572-4525
PURE UUID: 88cac8e6-7d8a-401f-ae86-4df0a5a85580
ORCID for E.H. Hollingsworth: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7067-6837
ORCID for G.L. Foster: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3688-9668
ORCID for G.N. Inglis: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0032-4668

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Date deposited: 18 Jan 2024 18:27
Last modified: 21 May 2024 01:59

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Contributors

Author: F.J. Elling
Author: M.P.S. Badger
Author: R.D. Pancost
Author: A.J. Dickson
Author: R.L. Rees-Owen
Author: N.M. Papadomanolaki
Author: A. Pearson
Author: A. Sluijs
Author: K.H. Freeman
Author: A.A. Baczynski
Author: G.L. Foster ORCID iD
Author: J.H. Whiteside
Author: G.N. Inglis ORCID iD

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