Palaeoceanography

Palaeoceanography is the study of past changes in ocean conditions including temperature, salinity, redox state, productivity, circulation, and ecology. These variables are typically reconstructed through analyses of the geochemistry, microfossil composition, and organic contents of ancient marine sediments that have either been exposed on land or collected through seafloor drilling.

Latest Research and Reviews

Research
26 January 2023 | Open Access

Enhanced magmatism played a dominant role in triggering the Miocene Climatic Optimum

The Miocene climatic optimum could have been triggered by coeval increase in magmatism, suggests global carbon cycle simulations constrained by seawater osmium isotope data from Pacific Ocean sediments.
- Kosuke T. Goto
- , Maria Luisa G. Tejada
- & Katsuhiko Suzuki
Communications Earth & Environment 4, 21
Research | 19 January 2023

Abrupt episode of mid-Cretaceous ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanism

Volcanic activity led to ocean acidification at the onset of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, which then persisted for 600,000 years due to biogeochemical feedbacks, according to marine osmium isotope and carbonate sedimentation records offshore from southwest Australia.
- Matthew M. Jones
- , Bradley B. Sageman
- & Richard W. Hobbs
Nature Geoscience, 1-6
Research
04 January 2023 | Open Access

Intermediate water circulation drives distribution of Pliocene Oxygen Minimum Zones

The Pliocene shows that a warmer world can support both expanded and contracted marine Oxygen Minimum Zones. While oxygen distributions were overall like today, there was less low-oxygen water in the North Pacific and more in the North Atlantic
- Catherine V. Davis
- , Elizabeth C. Sibert
- & Pincelli M. Hull
Nature Communications 14, 40
Research
03 January 2023 | Open Access

Early Cretaceous marine incursions into South Atlantic rift basins originated from the south

Initial seawater influx into South Atlantic rift basins entered from the south across the Rio Grande Rise-Walvis Ridge as the South Atlantic began to open in the Early Cretaceous, according to sedimentary hydrocarbon biomarker records in two drill cores from offshore West Africa.
- Xingqian Cui
- , Brent Wignall
- & Roger E. Summons
Communications Earth & Environment 4, 6
Research
03 January 2023 | Open Access

Mercury evidence from southern Pangea terrestrial sections for end-Permian global volcanic effects

Mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopes from terrestrial sections of southern Pangea provide evidence of the global volcanic effects of the Siberian Traps during the Permian-Triassic transition
- Jun Shen
- , Jiubin Chen
- & Tamsin A. Mather
Nature Communications 14, 6
Research
24 December 2022 | Open Access

Geochemical signatures of sedimentary and diagenetic processes in the trace fossil Rosselia from the Pliocene in Taiwan
- Yu‑Hsuan Liou
- , Ludvig Löwemark
- & Shahin Dashtgard
Scientific Reports 12, 22316

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News and Comment

Editorial | 05 December 2022

Phytoplankton in the middle

Marine phytoplankton both follow and actively influence the environment they inhabit. Unpacking the complex ecological and biogeochemical roles of these tiny organisms can help reveal the workings of the Earth system.

Nature Geoscience 15, 955
News & Views | 03 October 2022

Reversing Earth’s carbon engine

Enhanced formation of clay in marine sediments in the lead up to the end-Permian mass extinction likely pulled the Earth back into a hot, high-CO₂ state similar to that of the Precambrian.
- Hana Jurikova
Nature Geoscience 15, 756-757
Research Highlights | 12 September 2022

Filling the deep-ocean data gap with benthic foraminifera

Sofía Barragán-Montilla describes how microfossils of benthic foraminifera are used to understand the deep ocean.
- Sofía Barragán-Montilla
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3, 553
Research Highlights | 24 August 2022

Tracing marine gas hydrate destabilization with molecular fossils

Bumsoo Kim explains how lipid biomarkers in the sedimentary record can be used to trace gas hydrate destabilization and methane-release events in the geological past.
- Bumsoo Kim
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3, 740
News & Views | 11 August 2022

Lingering end to a salinity crisis

Modelling indicates that a return to fully normal marine conditions in the Mediterranean following the flooding that ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis was delayed by salt transfers and temporarily enhanced stratification.
- Angelo Camerlenghi
Nature Geoscience 15, 688-690
Research Highlights | 19 April 2022

Taking the temperature of ancient oceans with foraminiferal Mg/Ca

Ryan Glaubke describes the use of fossil foraminiferal Mg/Ca as an ocean paleothermometer.
- Ryan H. Glaubke
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3, 359

All News & Comment

Palaeoceanography

Latest Research and Reviews

Enhanced magmatism played a dominant role in triggering the Miocene Climatic Optimum

Abrupt episode of mid-Cretaceous ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanism

Intermediate water circulation drives distribution of Pliocene Oxygen Minimum Zones

Early Cretaceous marine incursions into South Atlantic rift basins originated from the south

Mercury evidence from southern Pangea terrestrial sections for end-Permian global volcanic effects

Geochemical signatures of sedimentary and diagenetic processes in the trace fossil Rosselia from the Pliocene in Taiwan

News and Comment

Phytoplankton in the middle

Reversing Earth’s carbon engine

Filling the deep-ocean data gap with benthic foraminifera

Tracing marine gas hydrate destabilization with molecular fossils

Lingering end to a salinity crisis

Taking the temperature of ancient oceans with foraminiferal Mg/Ca

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