Climatic ups and downs in a disturbed Jurassic world

The tropical, warm, and equable climate of the Jurassic world is regularly challenged by geoscientists, especially since oxygen isotopes (δ18O) of fossil hardparts have been used to reconstruct the paleotemperature history of seawater. By applying the innovative "SiZer" (significant zero c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geology (Boulder) 2011-03, Vol.39 (3), p.215-218
Main Authors: Dera, Guillaume, Brigaud, Benjamin, Monna, Fabrice, Laffont, Rémi, Pucéat, Emmanuelle, Deconinck, Jean-François, Pellenard, Pierre, Joachimski, Michael M, Durlet, Christophe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Belemnitidae
Belemnoidea
biochemistry
Bivalvia
Carbon dioxide
Cephalopoda
Climate
climate change
Climatology
Coleoidea
data bases
data processing
Earth Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Fossils
geochemical anomalies
geochemistry
Global Changes
Invertebrata
isotope ratios
Isotopes
Jurassic
large igneous provinces
Lower Jurassic
Mesozoic
Mollusca
O-18/O-16
oxygen
paleoclimatology
paleotemperature
reconstruction
Sciences of the Universe
Seawater
SiZer method
stable isotopes
statistical analysis
Stratigraphy
Temperature
time series analysis
Toarcian
Upper Jurassic
upper Liassic
volcanism
Volcanoes
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Summary:The tropical, warm, and equable climate of the Jurassic world is regularly challenged by geoscientists, especially since oxygen isotopes (δ18O) of fossil hardparts have been used to reconstruct the paleotemperature history of seawater. By applying the innovative "SiZer" (significant zero crossings of the derivatives) statistical approach to a newly compiled δ18O database for the Jurassic, we demonstrate the occurrence of major and multiscale δ18O changes mainly related to climate disturbances. For the first time, two long-term anomalies in δ18O are identified during the Toarcian and the Late Jurassic, in conjunction with intensive volcanism in large igneous provinces. These results support a strong influence of repeated volcanic pulses on the modulation of pCO2, temperatures, and polar ice cap volumes over protracted periods. At shorter time scales, 13 relatively rapid (0.5-1 m.y.) and significant warming and cooling events are identified, the causes of which include transient fluctuations in greenhouse gas concentrations related to still-debated mechanisms.
ISSN:0091-7613
1943-2682
DOI:10.1130/G31579.1