A large and mostly volcanic carbon source drove the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (NERC grant NE/H017356/1)

Global warming during the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~56 Ma) is commonly interpreted as being driven by massive destabilization of carbon from surficial sedimentary reservoirs. If correct, this has important implications for the amplification of future fossil fuel emissions via carbon-climate feedbacks. In our study we provided new paired records of boron and carbon isotope changes in the ocean that questions this long-held interpretation. Our data are implemented in an Earth system model to reconstruct the unfolding carbon cycle dynamics across the event. Strong evidence for a larger (>10,000 PgC) and on average isotopically heavier (> -17‰) carbon source leads us to identify volcanism associated with the North Atlantic Igneous Province as the main driver of the PETM. We also find that although organic carbon feedbacks with climate played a more minor role in driving the event than previously thought, organic matter burial was important in ultimately sequestering this carbon and driving the recovery of the system. Data presented in this data set comprise geochemical elemental, as well as boron, carbon and oxygen isotopic data from surface dwelling foraminifera Morozovella Subbotina. Alongside the boron isotopic data we also provide reconstructed surface water pH with corresponding uncertainties for our preferred pH reconstruction.
 
Citation proposal
. A large and mostly volcanic carbon source drove the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (NERC grant NE/H017356/1). https://metadata.bgs.ac.uk/geonetwork/srv/api/records/5820c2c9-8dcb-09b1-e054-002128a47908

Simple

Date ( Creation )
2017
Identifier
http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13607191

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Maintenance and update frequency
notApplicable notApplicable
GEMET - INSPIRE themes
  • Mineral Resources
BGS Thesaurus of Geosciences
  • Sea water , Oceans , Carbon capture and storage , pH value , Palaeoclimatology , Carbon cycle , Boron isotopes , Climatology , Acidification
Keywords
  • NERC_DDC
Access constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
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otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, via the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Manager. Use by customers of information provided by the BGS, is at the customer's own risk. In view of the disparate sources of information at BGS's disposal, including such material donated to BGS, that BGS accepts in good faith as being accurate, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or accuracy of the information supplied, or to the information's suitability for any use. NERC/BGS accepts no liability whatever in respect of loss, damage, injury or other occurence however caused.
Other constraints
Available under the Open Government Licence subject to the following acknowledgement accompanying the reproduced NERC materials "Contains NERC materials ©NERC [year]"
Metadata language
English English
Topic category
  • Geoscientific information
Geographic identifier
BAY OF BISCAY [id=2001371]

 

Date ( Revision )
2010

N
S
E
W


Supplemental Information
Our dataset comprises the geological time span surrounding the PETM, with first data dating back to ~56.25 Ma and the last data points dating back to ~55.3 Ma. The key onset of this event occurred circa 55.8 Ma ago. This work is still under review at the journal Nature, for which reason we ask to embargo the data until our manuscript is accepted as premature addition of our data to the respective database may lead to rejection of our manuscript.
Reference system identifier
OGP / GEOG

 

Date ( Revision )
2005

Distribution format
  • MS Excel ()

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OnLine resource
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/services/ngdc/accessions/index.html?#item77069  
OnLine resource
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23646  
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Other
dataset

Conformance result

Date ( Publication )
2011
Explanation
See the referenced specification
Pass
false

Conformance result

Date ( Publication )
2010-12-08
Explanation
See http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:323:0011:0102:EN:PDF
Pass
false
Statement
Data produced within the frame of NERC grant no. NE/H017356/1 cover the classic open northeast Atlantic DSDP Site 401 (47° 25.65’ N, 08° 48.62’ W, 2495 m). From this site, around 2 mg of the 250-300 mm size fraction of mixed-layer dweller Morozovella subbotinae were picked for the carbon, oxygen and boron isotopic analyses. Furthermore, over the studied interval, very high-resolution Oxygen 18 and Carbon 13 analyses of bulk carbonate were conducted to establish a revised age model for Site 401. Following the analysis and data reduction, generated surface ocean pH records were implemented into the GENIE Earth System Model to reconstruct the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration evolution over this event.

gmd:MD_Metadata

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5820c2c9-8dcb-09b1-e054-002128a47908   XML
Metadata language
English English
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Date stamp
2021-01-15
Metadata standard name
UK GEMINI
Metadata standard version
2.3

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Dataset URI
http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13607191
 
 

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