Organic Carbon Burial following the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in the central - western Tethys
Organic Carbon Burial following the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in the central - western Tethys
We present trace metal geochemistry and stable isotope records for the middle Eocene Alano di Piave section, NE Italy, deposited during magnetochron C18n in the marginal Tethys Ocean. We identify a $\sim$ 500 kyr long carbon isotope perturbation event we infer to be the middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) confirming the northern hemisphere expression and global occurrence of MECO. Interpreted peak climatic conditions are followed by the rapid deposition of two organic rich intervals ($\le$3\% TOC) and contemporaneous positive $\delta^{13}$C excursions. These two intervals are associated with increases in the concentration of sulphur and redox-sensitive trace metals, and low concentrations of Mn, as well as coupled with the occurrence of pyrite. Together these changes imply low, possibly dysoxic, bottom water O$_{2}$ conditions promoting increased organic carbon burial. We hypothesize that this rapid burial of organic carbon lowered global {\it p}CO$_{2}$ following the peak warming and returned the climate system to the general Eocene cooling trend.
MECO, Eocene, Alano di Piave
PA3210
Spofforth, D.J.A.
b989dfad-64d8-482a-8e49-8a0bbc1c7ad7
Agnini, C.
341fcd01-1809-4916-b49f-ab13cd130973
Pälike, H.
b9bf7798-ad8c-479b-8487-dd9a30a61fa5
Rio, D.
9a2a4c17-dd25-4bec-85b3-8849e830ce62
Fornaciari, E.
94c090c6-30ed-45b1-bfaf-fa5484256fb4
Giusberti, L.
7fa86251-c574-4e7d-a9f5-4f47fc1f247e
Luciani, V.
2552da9e-1cfc-4292-a915-b0f10c563935
Lanci, L.
0905f57d-d835-49c9-9356-efc950a171db
Muttoni, G.
adc11660-3066-409f-bc83-ce17a1342392
August 2010
Spofforth, D.J.A.
b989dfad-64d8-482a-8e49-8a0bbc1c7ad7
Agnini, C.
341fcd01-1809-4916-b49f-ab13cd130973
Pälike, H.
b9bf7798-ad8c-479b-8487-dd9a30a61fa5
Rio, D.
9a2a4c17-dd25-4bec-85b3-8849e830ce62
Fornaciari, E.
94c090c6-30ed-45b1-bfaf-fa5484256fb4
Giusberti, L.
7fa86251-c574-4e7d-a9f5-4f47fc1f247e
Luciani, V.
2552da9e-1cfc-4292-a915-b0f10c563935
Lanci, L.
0905f57d-d835-49c9-9356-efc950a171db
Muttoni, G.
adc11660-3066-409f-bc83-ce17a1342392
Spofforth, D.J.A., Agnini, C., Pälike, H., Rio, D., Fornaciari, E., Giusberti, L., Luciani, V., Lanci, L. and Muttoni, G.
(2010)
Organic Carbon Burial following the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in the central - western Tethys.
Paleoceanography, 25, .
(doi:10.1029/2009PA00173).
Abstract
We present trace metal geochemistry and stable isotope records for the middle Eocene Alano di Piave section, NE Italy, deposited during magnetochron C18n in the marginal Tethys Ocean. We identify a $\sim$ 500 kyr long carbon isotope perturbation event we infer to be the middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) confirming the northern hemisphere expression and global occurrence of MECO. Interpreted peak climatic conditions are followed by the rapid deposition of two organic rich intervals ($\le$3\% TOC) and contemporaneous positive $\delta^{13}$C excursions. These two intervals are associated with increases in the concentration of sulphur and redox-sensitive trace metals, and low concentrations of Mn, as well as coupled with the occurrence of pyrite. Together these changes imply low, possibly dysoxic, bottom water O$_{2}$ conditions promoting increased organic carbon burial. We hypothesize that this rapid burial of organic carbon lowered global {\it p}CO$_{2}$ following the peak warming and returned the climate system to the general Eocene cooling trend.
Text
Spofforth_etal_2010_2009PA001738.pdf
- Version of Record
Text
609240_2_merged_1259879611.pdf
- Author's Original
Text
Spofforth_etal_2010_suppl_material_2009PA001738.pdf
- Other
More information
Submitted date: 3 December 2009
Accepted/In Press date: 3 December 2009
Published date: August 2010
Keywords:
MECO, Eocene, Alano di Piave
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 69961
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/69961
ISSN: 0883-8305
PURE UUID: 8c0b83cd-1c13-4536-b0ef-e11b0903ade1
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 15 Dec 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 19:52
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
D.J.A. Spofforth
Author:
C. Agnini
Author:
H. Pälike
Author:
D. Rio
Author:
E. Fornaciari
Author:
L. Giusberti
Author:
V. Luciani
Author:
L. Lanci
Author:
G. Muttoni
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics