Tropical sea temperatures in the high-latitude South Pacific during the Eocene

Christopher J Hollis, Luke Handley, EM Crouch, HEG Morgans, JA Baker, J Creech, KS Colllins, SJ Gibbs, M Huber, S Schouten, JC Zachos, RD Pancost

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

152 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sea-surface temperature (SST) estimates of ~30 °C from planktic foraminifera and archaeal membrane lipids in bathyal sediments in the Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, support paleontological evidence for a warm subtropical to tropical climate in the early Eocene high-latitude (55°S) southwest Pacific. Such warm SSTs call into question previous estimates based on oxygen isotopes and present a major challenge to climate modelers. Even under hypergreenhouse conditions (2240 ppm CO2), modeled summer SSTs for the New Zealand region do not exceed 20 °C.
Translated title of the contributionTropical sea temperatures in the high-latitude South Pacific during the Eocene
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)99 - 102
JournalGeology
Volume37
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

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