Paleoceanographic Variability During the Onset of the Early Eocene Warm Period

该项目将在ODP站点分析3000-5000年间隔的南极和底栖有孔虫的稳定同位素，并持续恢复跨越古新世/始新世边界。 这段时间代表了一个异常温暖的全球气候的间隔，并包括至少一个急剧下降的13 C，这已被假定为表明大量释放的气体水合物与全球变暖造成的甲烷输入到大气中。 该项目将（a）确定是否有几个13 C事件，（B）评估这些事件与大约50万年前发生的海洋微生物进化更替的关系。（c）确定是否有证据表明存在可用于改进年龄控制估计的精度驱动的气候周期。

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.