Paleocene-Eocene volcanic segmentation of the Norwegian-Greenland seaway reorganized high-latitude ocean circulation

The paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic development of the Norwegian–Greenland seaway remains poorly understood, despite its importance for the oceanographic and climatic conditions of the Paleocene–Eocene greenhouse world. Here we present analyses of the sedimentological and paleontological char...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications earth & environment 2021-12, Vol.2 (1), p.1-10, Article 172
Main Authors: Hovikoski, Jussi, Fyhn, Michael B. W., Nøhr-Hansen, Henrik, Hopper, John R., Andrews, Steven, Barham, Milo, Nielsen, Lars H., Bjerager, Morten, Bojesen-Koefoed, Jørgen, Lode, Stefanie, Sheldon, Emma, Uchman, Alfred, Skorstengaard, Pia R., Alsen, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arctic zone
Climatic conditions
Eocene
Fragmentation
Ice environments
Image segmentation
Ocean circulation
Ocean currents
Paleocene
Paleontology
Polar environments
Seismic surveys
Uplift
Volcanic activity
Water circulation
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Summary:The paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic development of the Norwegian–Greenland seaway remains poorly understood, despite its importance for the oceanographic and climatic conditions of the Paleocene–Eocene greenhouse world. Here we present analyses of the sedimentological and paleontological characteristics of Paleocene–Eocene deposits (between 63 and 47 million years old) in northeast Greenland, and investigate key unconformities and volcanic facies observed through seismic reflection imaging in offshore basins. We identify Paleocene–Eocene uplift that culminated in widespread regression, volcanism, and subaerial exposure during the Ypresian. We reconstruct the paleogeography of the northeast Atlantic–Arctic region and propose that this uplift led to fragmentation of the Norwegian–Greenland seaway during this period. We suggest that the seaway became severely restricted between about 56 and 53 million years ago, effectively isolating the Arctic from the Atlantic ocean during the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum and the early Eocene.
ISSN:2662-4435
2662-4435
DOI:10.1038/s43247-021-00249-w