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Orbital (Hydro)Climate Variability in the Ice-Free Early Eocene Arctic
Chris D Fokkema1, Henk Brinkhuis1,2, Francien Peterse1
1Department of Earth Sciences Faculty of Geoscience Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands.
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
|November 29, 2024
Summary
Early Eocene Arctic climate shows orbital control on sea surface temperature and precipitation, with significant polar amplification of global temperature variability.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Arctic Oceanography
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Early Eocene (∼56-48 Ma) offers a unique window into polar climate dynamics without ice sheets.
- Understanding orbital variability is crucial for reconstructing past climate sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early Eocene Arctic climate dynamics and orbital variability using sediment cores.
- To determine the influence of orbital cycles (precession, obliquity, eccentricity) on Arctic sea surface temperatures and hydrological processes.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution analysis of lipid biomarkers (GDGTs) and palynological assemblages from Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) sediments.
- Reconstruction of sea surface temperature (SST) and terrestrial/marine productivity signals.
Main Results:
- Cyclic signals linked to 20-kyr precession, 40-kyr obliquity, and 100-kyr eccentricity were identified.
- Obliquity and precession influenced SST by up to 1.4°C and 0.5°C, respectively.
- Eccentricity-driven SST variability (∼0.8°C) showed pronounced polar amplification compared to deep ocean and tropical records.
Conclusions:
- Orbital forcing controlled Arctic precipitation and nutrient supply, with regional hydrological processes playing a key role.
- Seasonal GDGT bias was confirmed by matching precession and obliquity amplitudes with local insolation.
- Early Eocene polar regions experienced significant temperature amplification, even without ice-albedo feedbacks.
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