A Transient Rise in Tropical Sea Surface Temperature During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
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- 28 November 2003
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 302 (5650) , 1551-1554
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1090110
Abstract
The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) has been attributed to a rapid rise in greenhouse gas levels. If so, warming should have occurred at all latitudes, although amplified toward the poles. Existing records reveal an increase in high-latitude sea surface temperatures (SSTs) (8° to 10°C) and in bottom water temperatures (4° to 5°C). To date, however, the character of the tropical SST response during this event remains unconstrained. Here we address this deficiency by using paired oxygen isotope and minor element (magnesium/calcium) ratios of planktonic foraminifera from a tropical Pacific core to estimate changes in SST. Using mixed-layer foraminifera, we found that the combined proxies imply a 4° to 5°C rise in Pacific SST during the PETM. These results would necessitate a rise in atmospheric pCO 2 to levels three to four times as high as those estimated for the late Paleocene.Keywords
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