Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea
<p>The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 55.9 Ma) was a period of rapid and sustained global warming associated with significant carbon emissions. It coincided with the North Atlantic opening and emplacement of the North Atlanti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/1989/2021/cp-17-1989-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818662913287651328 |
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| author | E. W. Stokke M. T. Jones L. Riber H. Haflidason H. Haflidason I. Midtkandal B. P. Schultz H. H. Svensen |
| author_facet | E. W. Stokke M. T. Jones L. Riber H. Haflidason H. Haflidason I. Midtkandal B. P. Schultz H. H. Svensen |
| author_sort | E. W. Stokke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 55.9 Ma) was a
period of rapid and sustained global warming associated with significant
carbon emissions. It coincided with the North Atlantic opening and
emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), suggesting a
possible causal relationship. Only a very limited number of PETM studies
exist from the North Sea, despite its ideal position for tracking the impact
of both changing climate and NAIP activity. Here we present
sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical proxy data from Denmark in
the eastern North Sea, exploring the environmental response to the PETM. An
increase in the chemical index of alteration and a kaolinite content up to
50 % of the clay fraction indicate an influx of terrestrial input shortly
after the PETM onset and during the recovery, likely due to an intensified
hydrological cycle. The volcanically derived zeolite and smectite minerals
comprise up to 36 % and 90 % of the bulk and clay mineralogy
respectively, highlighting the NAIP's importance as a sediment source for the
North Sea and in increasing the rate of silicate weathering during the PETM.
X-Ray fluorescence element core scans also reveal possible hitherto unknown
NAIP ash deposition both prior to and during the PETM. Geochemical proxies
show that an anoxic to sulfidic environment persisted during the PETM,
particularly in the upper half of the PETM body with high concentrations of
molybdenum (Mo<span class="inline-formula"><sub>EF</sub></span> <span class="inline-formula">></span> 30), uranium (U<span class="inline-formula"><sub>EF</sub></span> up to 5), sulfur
(<span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 4 wt %), and pyrite (<span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 7 % of bulk). At
the same time, export productivity and organic-matter burial reached its
maximum intensity. These new records reveal that negative feedback
mechanisms including silicate weathering and organic carbon sequestration
rapidly began to counteract the carbon cycle perturbations and temperature
increase and remained active throughout the PETM. This study highlights the
importance of shelf sections in tracking the environmental response to the
PETM climatic changes and as carbon sinks driving the PETM recovery.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:08:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13114f1df3e44c29bdcfd8eb1e197946 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:08:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate of the Past |
| spelling | doaj.art-13114f1df3e44c29bdcfd8eb1e1979462022-12-21T22:02:19ZengCopernicus PublicationsClimate of the Past1814-93241814-93322021-10-01171989201310.5194/cp-17-1989-2021Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North SeaE. W. Stokke0M. T. Jones1L. Riber2H. Haflidason3H. Haflidason4I. Midtkandal5B. P. Schultz6H. H. Svensen7CEED, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1028, 0315 Oslo, NorwayCEED, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1028, 0315 Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Geosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allégt. 41, 5007 Bergen, NorwayBjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Jahnebakken 5, 5007 Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Geosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, NorwayMuseum Salling, Fur Museum, Nederby 28, 7884 Fur, DenmarkCEED, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1028, 0315 Oslo, Norway<p>The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 55.9 Ma) was a period of rapid and sustained global warming associated with significant carbon emissions. It coincided with the North Atlantic opening and emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), suggesting a possible causal relationship. Only a very limited number of PETM studies exist from the North Sea, despite its ideal position for tracking the impact of both changing climate and NAIP activity. Here we present sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical proxy data from Denmark in the eastern North Sea, exploring the environmental response to the PETM. An increase in the chemical index of alteration and a kaolinite content up to 50 % of the clay fraction indicate an influx of terrestrial input shortly after the PETM onset and during the recovery, likely due to an intensified hydrological cycle. The volcanically derived zeolite and smectite minerals comprise up to 36 % and 90 % of the bulk and clay mineralogy respectively, highlighting the NAIP's importance as a sediment source for the North Sea and in increasing the rate of silicate weathering during the PETM. X-Ray fluorescence element core scans also reveal possible hitherto unknown NAIP ash deposition both prior to and during the PETM. Geochemical proxies show that an anoxic to sulfidic environment persisted during the PETM, particularly in the upper half of the PETM body with high concentrations of molybdenum (Mo<span class="inline-formula"><sub>EF</sub></span> <span class="inline-formula">></span> 30), uranium (U<span class="inline-formula"><sub>EF</sub></span> up to 5), sulfur (<span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 4 wt %), and pyrite (<span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 7 % of bulk). At the same time, export productivity and organic-matter burial reached its maximum intensity. These new records reveal that negative feedback mechanisms including silicate weathering and organic carbon sequestration rapidly began to counteract the carbon cycle perturbations and temperature increase and remained active throughout the PETM. This study highlights the importance of shelf sections in tracking the environmental response to the PETM climatic changes and as carbon sinks driving the PETM recovery.</p>https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/1989/2021/cp-17-1989-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | E. W. Stokke M. T. Jones L. Riber H. Haflidason H. Haflidason I. Midtkandal B. P. Schultz H. H. Svensen Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea Climate of the Past |
| title | Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea |
| title_full | Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea |
| title_fullStr | Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea |
| title_short | Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea |
| title_sort | rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming the paleocene eocene thermal maximum in the eastern north sea |
| url | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/1989/2021/cp-17-1989-2021.pdf |
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