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Summary
The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) has been attributed to the rapid
release of ~2000 x 10e9 metric tons of carbon in the form of methane. In
theory, oxidation and ocean absorption of this carbon should have lowered
deep-sea pH, thereby triggering a rapid (<10,000-year) shoaling of the calcite
compensation depth (CCD), followed by gradual recovery. Here we ... present
geochemical data from five new South Atlantic deep-sea sections that constrain
the timing and extent of massive sea-floor carbonate dissolution coincident
with the PETM. The sections, from between 2.7 and 4.8 kilometers water depth,
are marked by a prominent clay layer, the character of which indicates that the
CCD shoaled rapidly (<10,000 years) by more than 2 kilometers and recovered
gradually (>100,000 years). These findings indicate that a large mass of carbon
(>>2000 x 10e9 metric tons of carbon) dissolved in the ocean at the
Paleocene-Eocene boundary and that permanent sequestration of this carbon
occurred through silicate weathering feedback.

Geographic Coverage Spatial coordinates   

N: 5.0

S: -60.0

E: 30.0

W: -70.0

Data Set Citation

Dataset Creator: James Zachos Dataset Title: South Atlantic Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum Carbon Data Dataset Series Name: IGBP PAGES/WDCA CONTRIBUTION SERIES NUMBER: 2006-007 Dataset Release Date: 2006-02 Dataset Release Place: Boulder, CO Dataset Publisher: IGBP PAGES/World Data Center for Paleoclimatology Issue Identification: 2006-007 Online Resource: ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleocean/by_contributor/zac...

Paleo Temporal Coverage

Paleo Start Date: 55 Ma Paleo Stop Date: 0 Ma Chrono Unit: PHANEROZOIC  >  CENOZOIC  >  PALEOGENE  >  PALEOCENE

Location Keywords

OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Science Keywords

PALEOCLIMATE > OCEAN/LAKE RECORDS > ISOTOPES PALEOCLIMATE > PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS > SEA LEVEL RECONSTRUCTION

ISO Topic Category

GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE OCEANS

Project

PAGES > Past Global Changes, IGBP

Ancillary Keywords

Sea Level Carbon Oxidation

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

NOAA/NCDC

Data Center

World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder Data Center URL: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ Data Center Personnel Name: WDC/PALEOCLIMATOLOGY, BOULDER Phone: +1 (303) 497-6160 Fax: +1 (303) 497-6513 Email: paleo at noaa.gov Contact Address: World Data Center for Paleoclimatology NOAA/NCDC Code E/GCx3 325 Broadway City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80303 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: ftp Fees: none

Personnel

JIM C. ZACHOS Role: INVESTIGATOR Contact Address: University of California, Santa Cruz City: Santa Cruz Province or State: CA Country: USA

Related URL

Link: GET DATA Link: GET DATA Description: Access to data and documentation.

Publications/References
Zachos, J.C. U. Roehl, S.A. Schellenberg, A. Sluijs, D.A. Hodell, D.C. Kelly,
E. Thomas, E.M. Nicolo, I. Raffi, L.J. Lourens, H. McCarren, and D. Kroon.
2005. Rapid Acidification of the Ocean During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal
Maximum. Science Vol. 308, pp. 1611, 10 June 2005.

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2006-12-29 Last DIF Revision Date: 2007-08-10

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