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Persistent near-tropical warmth on the Antarctic continent during the early Eocene epoch

Nature volume 488, pages 73–77 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

The warmest global climates of the past 65 million years occurred during the early Eocene epoch (about 55 to 48 million years ago), when the Equator-to-pole temperature gradients were much smaller than today1,2 and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were in excess of one thousand parts per million by volume3,4. Recently the early Eocene has received considerable interest because it may provide insight into the response of Earth’s climate and biosphere to the high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that are expected in the near future5 as a consequence of unabated anthropogenic carbon emissions4,6. Climatic conditions of the early Eocene ‘greenhouse world’, however, are poorly constrained in critical regions, particularly Antarctica. Here we present a well-dated record of early Eocene climate on Antarctica from an ocean sediment core recovered off the Wilkes Land coast of East Antarctica. The information from biotic climate proxies (pollen and spores) and independent organic geochemical climate proxies (indices based on branched tetraether lipids) yields quantitative, seasonal temperature reconstructions for the early Eocene greenhouse world on Antarctica. We show that the climate in lowland settings along the Wilkes Land coast (at a palaeolatitude of about 70° south) supported the growth of highly diverse, near-tropical forests characterized by mesothermal to megathermal floral elements including palms and Bombacoideae. Notably, winters were extremely mild (warmer than 10 °C) and essentially frost-free despite polar darkness, which provides a critical new constraint for the validation of climate models and for understanding the response of high-latitude terrestrial ecosystems to increased carbon dioxide forcing.

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Figure 1: Site location and continental setting of Antarctica during early Eocene times.
Figure 2: Data from Site U1356 for the early Eocene to mid-Eocene.
Figure 3: Climate reconstruction for the Wilkes Land sector of Antarctica during the early and mid-Eocene derived from Site U1356.

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Acknowledgements

This research used samples and data provided by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). The IODP is sponsored by the US National Science Foundation and participating countries under the management of Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc. Financial support for this research was provided by the German Research Foundation, to J.P. (grant PR 651/10) and U.R. (grant RO 1113/6); the Biodiversity and Climate Research Center of the Hessian Initiative for Scientific and Economic Excellence, to J.P.; the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, to H.B. and S.S. (VICI grant); the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, to D.R.G. (grant DG 311934); the Natural Environment Research Council, to S.M.B. (grant Ne/J019801/1), J.A.B. (grant Ne/I00646X/1) and T.v.d.F. (grant Ne/I006257/1); the US National Science Foundation, to L.T. (grant OCE 1058858); and the New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation, to J.I.R.. We thank J. Francis, S. Gollner and M. Huber for discussions, and B. Coles, E. Hopmans, K. Kreissig, A. Mets, J. Ossebaar, B. Schminke, J. Treehorn and N. Welters for technical support.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo, Christina R. Riesselman, Saiko Sugisaki & Masako Yamane

    Present address: Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.,

  2. Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo, Christina R. Riesselman, Saiko Sugisaki & Masako Yamane

    Present address: Present addresses: Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-Universidad de Granada, Armilla, 18100 Granada, Spain (F.J.J.-E.); US Geological Survey, Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center, 926A National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA (C.R.R.); Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Frontier Building 4F, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan (S.S.).,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paleoenvironmental Dynamics Group, Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany ,

    Jörg Pross, Lineth Contreras & Bas van de Schootbrugge

  2. Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany ,

    Jörg Pross

  3. Biomarine Sciences, Institute of Environmental Biology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands ,

    Peter K. Bijl & Henk Brinkhuis

  4. Biology Department, Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba R7A 6A9, Canada,

    David R. Greenwood

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

    Steven M. Bohaty

  6. Department of Marine Organic Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Post Office 59, 1790 AB Den Burg (Texel), The Netherlands,

    Stefan Schouten

  7. Glasgow Molecular Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK ,

    James A. Bendle

  8. MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße, 28359 Bremen, Germany ,

    Ursula Röhl

  9. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA ,

    Lisa Tauxe

  10. Department of Palaeontology, GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt 6009, New Zealand,

    J. Ian Raine

  11. Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK,

    Claire E. Huck & Tina van de Flierdt

  12. Department of Geography, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK,

    Stewart S. R. Jamieson

  13. Department of Geology, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway,

    Catherine E. Stickley

  14. Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4 18100 Armilla (Granada), Spain ,

    Carlota Escutia

  15. Biomarine Sciences, Institute of Environmental Biology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands.,

    Henk Brinkhuis & Peter K. Bijl

  16. Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-Universite de Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva s/n, 18002 Granada, Spain.,

    Carlota Escutia Dotti & Jhon J. Gonzàlez

  17. United States Implementing Organization, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, 1000 Discovery Drive, College Station, Texas 77845, USA.,

    Adam Klaus

  18. Aachen University, Institute for Applied Geophysics and Geothermal Energy, Mathieustraße 6, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.,

    Annick Fehr

  19. Borehole Research Group, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PO Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964, USA.,

    Trevor Williams

  20. Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, G128QQ Glasgow, UK.,

    James A. P. Bendle

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

    Steven M. Bohaty

  22. Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA.,

    Stephanie A. Carr

  23. Department of Environmental Earth System Science, Stanford University, 325 Braun Hall, Building 320, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA.,

    Robert B. Dunbar & Christina R. Riesselman

  24. Department of Geology, Western Michigan University, 1187 Rood Hall, 1903 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, USA.,

    Travis G. Hayden

  25. Department of Natural Science, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi 780-8520, Japan.,

    Masao Iwai

  26. Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Natsushima-cho 2-15, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan.,

    Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo

  27. Marine Center for Advanced Core Research, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan.,

    Kota Katsuki

  28. Petroleum and Marine Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, 30 Gajeong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350, Republic of Korea.,

    Gee Soo Kong

  29. Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.,

    Robert M. McKay

  30. Education Department, Daito Bunka University, 1-9-1 Takashima-daira, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 175-8571, Japan.,

    Mutsumi Nakai

  31. Department of Geology, University of South Florida, Tampa, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, SCA 528, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA.,

    Matthew P. Olney

  32. Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, 252 Mallory Hall, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey 07043, USA.,

    Sandra Passchier

  33. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, New York 11367, USA.,

    Stephen F. Pekar

  34. Paleoenvironmental Dynamics Group, Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,

    Jörg Pross

  35. Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.,

    Jörg Pross

  36. MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,

    Ursula Röhl

  37. Department of Geology, Utsunomiya University, 350 Mine-Machi, Utsunomiya 321-8505, Japan.,

    Toyosaburo Sakai

  38. Antarctica Division, Geological Survey of India, NH5P, NIT, Faridabad 121001, Harlyana, India.,

    Prakash K. Shrivastava

  39. Department of Geology, Universitet i Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.,

    Catherine E. Stickley

  40. Department of Polar Science, Graduate University of Advanced Study, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa City, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan.,

    Saiko Sugisaki

  41. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0220, USA.,

    Lisa Tauxe

  42. School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, 1239 Spring Road, Shanghai 200092, China.,

    Shouting Tuo

  43. Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.,

    Tina van de Flierdt

  44. School of Earth Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,

    Kevin Welsh

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  1. Jörg Pross
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Consortia

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 318 Scientists

  • Henk Brinkhuis
  • , Carlota Escutia Dotti
  • , Adam Klaus
  • , Annick Fehr
  • , Trevor Williams
  • , James A. P. Bendle
  • , Peter K. Bijl
  • , Steven M. Bohaty
  • , Stephanie A. Carr
  • , Robert B. Dunbar
  • , Jhon J. Gonzàlez
  • , Travis G. Hayden
  • , Masao Iwai
  • , Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo
  • , Kota Katsuki
  • , Gee Soo Kong
  • , Robert M. McKay
  • , Mutsumi Nakai
  • , Matthew P. Olney
  • , Sandra Passchier
  • , Stephen F. Pekar
  • , Jörg Pross
  • , Christina R. Riesselman
  • , Ursula Röhl
  • , Toyosaburo Sakai
  • , Prakash K. Shrivastava
  • , Catherine E. Stickley
  • , Saiko Sugisaki
  • , Lisa Tauxe
  • , Shouting Tuo
  • , Tina van de Flierdt
  • , Kevin Welsh
  •  & Masako Yamane

Contributions

J.P., H.B. and S.S. designed the research. L.C., J.P. and J.I.R. analysed the sporomorphs, D.R.G. and L.C. conducted the quantitative climate reconstructions, and P.K.B. and S.S. carried out the MBT/CBT analyses. All authors contributed to the interpretation of the data. J.P. wrote the paper with input from all authors.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jörg Pross or Jörg Pross.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

This file contains Supplementary Text, Supplementary Figures 1-7, Supplementary Table 1 and additional references. (PDF 8516 kb)

Supplementary Data

This file contains Supplementary Data, including all sporomorph data, sporomorph-based climate estimates and MBT/CBT data. (XLS 390 kb)

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Pross, J., Contreras, L., Bijl, P. et al. Persistent near-tropical warmth on the Antarctic continent during the early Eocene epoch. Nature 488, 73–77 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11300

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