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Batenburg SJ, Voigt S, Friedrich O, Osborne AH, Bornemann A, Klein T, Pérez-Díaz L, Frank M. Major intensification of Atlantic overturning circulation at the onset of Paleogene greenhouse warmth. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4954. [PMID: 30470783 PMCID: PMC6251870 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07457-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
During the Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic the Earth experienced prolonged climatic cooling most likely caused by decreasing volcanic activity and atmospheric CO2 levels. However, the causes and mechanisms of subsequent major global warming culminating in the late Paleocene to Eocene greenhouse climate remain enigmatic. We present deep and intermediate water Nd-isotope records from the North and South Atlantic to decipher the control of the opening Atlantic Ocean on ocean circulation and its linkages to the evolution of global climate. The marked convergence of Nd-isotope signatures 59 million years ago indicates a major intensification of deep-water exchange between the North and South Atlantic, which coincided with the turning point of deep-water temperatures towards early Paleogene warming. We propose that this intensification of Atlantic overturning circulation in concert with increased atmospheric CO2 from continental rifting marked a climatic tipping point contributing to a more efficient distribution of heat over the planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Batenburg
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany. .,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK.
| | - S Voigt
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - O Friedrich
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234-236, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - A H Osborne
- GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, Kiel, 24148, Germany
| | - A Bornemann
- Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hannover, Germany
| | - T Klein
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - L Pérez-Díaz
- Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - M Frank
- GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, Kiel, 24148, Germany
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