Astrochronology of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum on the Atlantic Coastal Plain
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Abstract
The chronology of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~56 Ma) remains disputed, hampering complete understanding of the possible trigger mechanisms of this event. Here we present an astrochronology for the PETM carbon isotope excursion from Howards Tract, Maryland a paleoshelf environment, on the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Statistical evaluation of variations in calcium content and magnetic susceptibility indicates astronomical forcing was involved and the PETM onset lasted about 6 kyr. The astrochronology and Earth system modeling suggest that the PETM onset occurred at an extreme in precession during a maximum in eccentricity, thus favoring high temperatures, indicating that astronomical forcing could have played a role in triggering the event. Ca content data on the paleo-shelf, along with other marine records, support the notion that a carbonate saturation overshoot followed global ocean acidification during the PETM.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Astrochronology of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum on the Atlantic Coastal Plain |
| Series title | Nature Communications |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41467-022-33390-x |
| Volume | 13 |
| Year Published | 2022 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Nature Publications |
| Contributing office(s) | Florence Bascom Geoscience Center |
| Description | 5618, 13 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia |
| Other Geospatial | mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |