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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Thermal Limits Determination for Zooplankton Using a Heat Block

Thermal Limits Determination for Zooplankton Using a Heat Block

Published on: November 18, 2022

Continental warming preceding the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum.

Ross Secord¹, Philip D Gingerich, Kyger C Lohmann

¹Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA. rsecord2@unl.edu

|October 22, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was preceded by significant continental warming, challenging methane as the sole cause. This study reveals earlier warming events linked to the PETM, indicating complex climate dynamics.

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Area of Science:

Paleoclimatology
Geochemistry

Background:

The Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is characterized by a major carbon isotope excursion (CIE) and rapid global warming.
The primary cause of PETM warming, often attributed to methane release, is debated due to conflicting timing evidence.

Observation:

Continental warming of approximately 5°C was identified in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, preceding the CIE.
Oxygen isotope analysis of mammal teeth and soil carbonate δ(13)C values provide evidence for pre-CIE warming.

Findings:

A significant temperature increase occurred directly below the CIE and again during the CIE.
Negative amplification of δ(13)C in soil carbonates below the CIE supports pre-CIE warming.

Implications:

The findings suggest at least two distinct warming sources contributed to the PETM.
The earlier warming event was unlikely caused by methane, indicating more complex triggers for abrupt climate change.