Paleoceanographic Variability During the Onset of the Early Eocene Warm Period

该项目将在跨越古新世/始新世界线的ODP点，每隔3000-5000年分析浮游和底栖有孔虫中的稳定同位素。这段时间代表了全球气候异常温暖的间隔，并至少包括了13摄氏度的大幅下降，这被认为表明天然气水合物的大量释放以及甲烷进入大气导致的全球变暖。该项目将(A)确定是否发生了几次13C事件，(B)评估这些事件与海洋微生物的进化更替之间的关系，该更替发生在大约0.5英里。(C)确定是否有证据表明存在可用于改进年龄控制估计数的精确度驱动的气候循环。

This project will analyze stable isotopes in planktic and benthic foraminifera at intervals of 3000-5000 years in ODP sites with continuous recovery spanning the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. This time represents an interval of unusually warm global climate, and incorporates at least one dramatic decrease in a 13 C, which has been postulated to indicate massive release of gas hydrates with global warming resulting from input of methane into the atmosphere. The project will (a) determine whether there were several 13 C events, (b) assess the relationship of these events to an evolutionary turnover in marine microorganisms which occurred about 0.5 m.y. later and (c) determine whether there is evidence for precission-driven climate cycles that can be used to improve age-control estimates.