Exp392EventStratigraphy – high resolution bulk stable carbon isotope stratigraphy of major Paleogene events drilled during IODP Expedition 392 on Agulhas Plateau

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The Paleogene, the period in Earth history from 66 to 23 million years ago (Ma), is of major interest in paleoclimate research because Earth’s climate system was in a different state than today. During the Paleocene (66 – 56 Ma) and the Eocene (56 – 34 Ma) Epochs the 'Warmhouse State' with global temperatures more than 5°C warmer than they are today persisted, interrupted by the 'Hothouse State' from 56 to 47 Ma. Anthropogenic carbon emissions since 1850 are causing global warming and might lead to global climate conditions last encountered in the Paleocene and Eocene already by the year 2300. Studying consequences of climate disruption and effects on the ecosystem in a warmer world is sensible to assess and mitigate potential future climate pathways. This is particularly important for high latitudes because the impact of global warming is expected to be amplified with respect to the lower latitude. Most interesting in the warmer climate states are the following major climate disruption events: the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) Meteorite Impact at 66 Ma, the Late Danian Event (LDE) at 62.1 Ma, the Early Late Paleocene Event (ELPE) at 59.3 Ma, the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) at 55.9 Ma, and the Middle Eocene Climate Optimum (MECO) at 40.3 Ma. Most of our understanding about these events comes from marine sediment deposits drilled by scientific ocean drilling expeditions. New and very detailed archives of these events from high latitudes have recently been recovered in sediment cores drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 392 on the Agulhas Plateau in the Southwest Indian Ocean. During the Paleogene this region was positioned at paleolatitudes of ~53° to 56°S and within the gateway between the South Atlantic, Southern Ocean, and southern Indian Ocean basins. The objectives of the project is to generate high resolution bulk carbonate stable carbon and oxygen isotope data on sediments from IODP Site U1579 and Site U1580 for the above paleoclimate events. The bulk stable isotope data are urgently needed to enable a clear identification and a geochemical characterization of the recovered events as well as to establish a highly precise age model to allow global correlation. This project will provide key data and results for other collaborative studies conducted by IODP Expedition 392 science members. It is expected to gain novel insight to Paleogene paleoclimate events with very high impact.