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Palaeobotanical evidence for a warm Cretaceous Arctic Ocean

Nature volume 380, pages 330–333 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

THE Cretaceous period was a time of global warmth1–4. Mid-Cretaceous equatorial temperatures were similar to today's5, but the equator-to-pole temperature gradient is the subject of some controversy5–7. Although it is unlikely that the poles were ice-free8–10, fossil evidence3–5,11,12 indicates that near-polar temperatures were much higher than they are today. Little is known, moreover, about oceanic poleward heat transport, and this makes it hard to model the Cretaceous climate or to evaluate the extent to which it provides an analogue for a 'greenhouse' world warmed by increased atmospheric CO2 alone. Here we use relationships between leaf physiognomy (such as shape and size) and modern climate to determine Cretaceous climate conditions in the Arctic region from fossil leaves. We find that the Arctic Ocean was relatively warm, remaining above 0 °C even during the winter months. This implies that there was significant poleward heat transport during all seasons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 109017, Russia

    Alexei B. Herman

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK76AA, UK

    Robert A. Spicer

Authors
  1. Alexei B. Herman
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  2. Robert A. Spicer
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Herman, A., Spicer, R. Palaeobotanical evidence for a warm Cretaceous Arctic Ocean. Nature 380, 330–333 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/380330a0

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