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Evidence for global cooling in the Late Cretaceous
Christian Linnert1, Stuart A Robinson2, Jackie A Lees1
1Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Nature Communications
|June 18, 2014
Summary
Late Cretaceous sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic cooled significantly, dropping by approximately 7°C. This global cooling trend, evidenced by sea surface temperature (SST) records, suggests declining atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Geochemistry
- Oceanography
Background:
- The Late Cretaceous was a 'greenhouse' period with high global temperatures.
- Understanding Late Cretaceous cooling is crucial for climate modeling.
- High-quality low-latitude sea surface temperature (SST) data are scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct Late Cretaceous North Atlantic SSTs.
- To investigate the causes of Late Cretaceous cooling.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the TEX86 organic geochemical paleothermometer.
- Analyzed hemipelagic sediments from the western North Atlantic shelf.
- Covered the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval (~83-66 Ma).
Main Results:
- Reconstructed SST record for the North Atlantic at 35°N.
- Observed maximum SSTs of ~35°C in the early Campanian.
- Documented significant cooling (~7°C) to <~28°C by the Maastrichtian.
Conclusions:
- The North Atlantic experienced substantial cooling during the Campanian-Maastrichtian.
- The cooling trend mirrors high-latitude SST and bottom-water temperature records.
- Global cooling suggests a primary driver of declining atmospheric pCO2 levels.
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