Atmospheric science: Marked decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations during the Paleogene

Mark Pagani; James C. Zachos; Katherine H. Freeman; Brett Tipple; Stephen Bohaty

doi:10.1126/science.1110063

Atmospheric science: Marked decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations during the Paleogene

Mark Pagani, James C. Zachos, Katherine H. Freeman, Brett Tipple, Stephen Bohaty

Geosciences

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Abstract

The relation between the partial pressure of atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO₂) and Paleogene climate is poorly resolved. We used stable carbon isotopic values of di-unsaturated alkenones extracted from deep sea cores to reconstruct pCO₂ from the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene (∼45 to 25 million years ago). Our results demonstrate that pCO₂ ranged between 1000 to 1500 parts per million by volume in the middle to late Eocene, then decreased in several steps during the Oligocene, and reached modern levels by the latest Oligocene. The fall in pCO₂ likely allowed for a critical expansion of ice sheets on Antarctica and promoted conditions that forced the onset of terrestrial C₄ photosynthesis.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	600-603
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	309
Issue number	5734
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1110063
State	Published - Jul 22 2005

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abstract = "The relation between the partial pressure of atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) and Paleogene climate is poorly resolved. We used stable carbon isotopic values of di-unsaturated alkenones extracted from deep sea cores to reconstruct pCO2 from the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene (∼45 to 25 million years ago). Our results demonstrate that pCO2 ranged between 1000 to 1500 parts per million by volume in the middle to late Eocene, then decreased in several steps during the Oligocene, and reached modern levels by the latest Oligocene. The fall in pCO2 likely allowed for a critical expansion of ice sheets on Antarctica and promoted conditions that forced the onset of terrestrial C4 photosynthesis.",

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AU - Pagani, Mark

AU - Zachos, James C.

AU - Freeman, Katherine H.

AU - Tipple, Brett

AU - Bohaty, Stephen

PY - 2005/7/22

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N2 - The relation between the partial pressure of atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) and Paleogene climate is poorly resolved. We used stable carbon isotopic values of di-unsaturated alkenones extracted from deep sea cores to reconstruct pCO2 from the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene (∼45 to 25 million years ago). Our results demonstrate that pCO2 ranged between 1000 to 1500 parts per million by volume in the middle to late Eocene, then decreased in several steps during the Oligocene, and reached modern levels by the latest Oligocene. The fall in pCO2 likely allowed for a critical expansion of ice sheets on Antarctica and promoted conditions that forced the onset of terrestrial C4 photosynthesis.

AB - The relation between the partial pressure of atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) and Paleogene climate is poorly resolved. We used stable carbon isotopic values of di-unsaturated alkenones extracted from deep sea cores to reconstruct pCO2 from the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene (∼45 to 25 million years ago). Our results demonstrate that pCO2 ranged between 1000 to 1500 parts per million by volume in the middle to late Eocene, then decreased in several steps during the Oligocene, and reached modern levels by the latest Oligocene. The fall in pCO2 likely allowed for a critical expansion of ice sheets on Antarctica and promoted conditions that forced the onset of terrestrial C4 photosynthesis.

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Atmospheric science: Marked decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations during the Paleogene

Abstract

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