Reconstruction of continental temperatures and oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation based on clumped and oxygen isotope analysis of pedogenic siderites

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Hauptverfasser: van Dijk, Joep, Fernandez, Alvaro, Bernasconi, Stefano M, Caves Rugenstein, Jeremy K, Passey, Simon R, White, Tim
Format: Dataset Open Access
Sprache:en
Veröffentlicht: PANGAEA 2020
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author van Dijk, Joep
Fernandez, Alvaro
Bernasconi, Stefano M
Caves Rugenstein, Jeremy K
Passey, Simon R
White, Tim
author_facet van Dijk, Joep
Fernandez, Alvaro
Bernasconi, Stefano M
Caves Rugenstein, Jeremy K
Passey, Simon R
White, Tim
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents Earth's climate sensitivity – defined as the temperature increase for a doubling of pCO2 – and the mechanisms responsible for amplification of high latitude warming remain controversial. The latest Paleocene/earliest Eocene (LPEE; 57-55 million years ago) is a time when pCO2 peaked between 1400 and 4000 ppm, which allows us to evaluate the climatic response to high pCO2. Here, we present a reconstruction of continental temperatures and oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation – reflective of specific humidity – based on clumped and oxygen isotope analysis of pedogenic siderites. We show that continental mean annual temperature reached 41 °C in the equatorial tropics, and summer temperatures reached 23 °C in the Arctic. The oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation reveal that compared to the present-day the hot LPEE climate was characterized by an increase in specific humidity and the average residence time of atmospheric moisture and by a decrease in the subtropical-to-polar specific humidity gradient. The global increase in specific humidity reflects the fact that atmospheric vapor content is more sensitive to changes in pCO2 than evaporation and precipitation, resulting in an increase in the residence time of moisture in the atmosphere. Pedogenic siderite data from other super-greenhouse periods support the evidence that the spatial patterns of specific humidity and warmth are related providing new means to evaluate Earth's climate sensitivity.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_922973
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2020
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Reconstruction of continental temperatures and oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation based on clumped and oxygen isotope analysis of pedogenic siderites
van Dijk, Joep
Fernandez, Alvaro
Bernasconi, Stefano M
Caves Rugenstein, Jeremy K
Passey, Simon R
White, Tim
climate; Clumped isotopes; Continental; Eocene; Oxygen isotopes; Paleocene; siderite
Earth's climate sensitivity – defined as the temperature increase for a doubling of pCO2 – and the mechanisms responsible for amplification of high latitude warming remain controversial. The latest Paleocene/earliest Eocene (LPEE; 57-55 million years ago) is a time when pCO2 peaked between 1400 and 4000 ppm, which allows us to evaluate the climatic response to high pCO2. Here, we present a reconstruction of continental temperatures and oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation – reflective of specific humidity – based on clumped and oxygen isotope analysis of pedogenic siderites. We show that continental mean annual temperature reached 41 °C in the equatorial tropics, and summer temperatures reached 23 °C in the Arctic. The oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation reveal that compared to the present-day the hot LPEE climate was characterized by an increase in specific humidity and the average residence time of atmospheric moisture and by a decrease in the subtropical-to-polar specific humidity gradient. The global increase in specific humidity reflects the fact that atmospheric vapor content is more sensitive to changes in pCO2 than evaporation and precipitation, resulting in an increase in the residence time of moisture in the atmosphere. Pedogenic siderite data from other super-greenhouse periods support the evidence that the spatial patterns of specific humidity and warmth are related providing new means to evaluate Earth's climate sensitivity.
title Reconstruction of continental temperatures and oxygen isotope compositions of precipitation based on clumped and oxygen isotope analysis of pedogenic siderites
topic climate; Clumped isotopes; Continental; Eocene; Oxygen isotopes; Paleocene; siderite
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.922973