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Reply to 'Constraints on hyperthermals'

Nature Geoscience volume 5, pages 231–232 (2012)Cite this article

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Cui et al. reply

We welcome this opportunity to clarify our approach and interpretations in view of the concerns expressed by Sluijs et al. Variation in source of organic matter is always of concern when interpreting trends in the isotopic composition of sediments. Definitive analyses of source were prevented by thermal maturity1. However, we note that the shift in carbon/nitrogen (and pristane/phytane) ratios — which suggests that organic matter during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was predominantly of marine origins2 — occurs before the isotope excursion3 and should not significantly affect our reconstruction of it.

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Author notes

  1. Christopher K. Junium

    Present address: Present address: Department of Earth Sciences, 204 Heroy Geology Lab, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Ying Cui, Lee R. Kump, Christopher K. Junium, Aaron F. Diefendorf, Katherine H. Freeman, Nathan M. Urban & Ian C. Harding

  2. School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK

    Andy J. Ridgwell

  3. School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK

    Adam J. Charles

  4. Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, 45221, Ohio, USA

    Aaron F. Diefendorf

  5. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, 08544, New Jersey, USA

    Nathan M. Urban

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  1. Ying Cui
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Correspondence to Ying Cui.

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Cui, Y., Kump, L., Ridgwell, A. et al. Reply to 'Constraints on hyperthermals'. Nature Geosci 5, 231–232 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1424

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