Solar System chaos and the Paleocene–Eocene boundary age constrained by geology and astronomy

Astronomical calculations reveal the Solar System’s dynamical evolution, including its chaoticity, and represent the backbone of cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology. An absolute, fully calibrated astronomical time scale has hitherto been hampered beyond ~50 million years before the present (Ma) be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2019-08, Vol.365 (6456), p.926-929
Main Authors: Zeebe, Richard E., Lourens, Lucas J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Astronomy
Celestial bodies
Chaos theory
Constraints
Eccentric orbits
Eocene
Geology
Mathematical analysis
Orbital resonances (celestial mechanics)
Paleocene
Resonance
Resonant frequencies
Solar system
Solar system evolution
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Summary:Astronomical calculations reveal the Solar System’s dynamical evolution, including its chaoticity, and represent the backbone of cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology. An absolute, fully calibrated astronomical time scale has hitherto been hampered beyond ~50 million years before the present (Ma) because orbital calculations disagree before that age. Here, we present geologic data and a new astronomical solution (ZB18a) showing exceptional agreement from ~58 to 53 Ma. We provide a new absolute astrochronology up to 58 Ma and a new Paleocene–Eocene boundary age (56.01 ± 0.05 Ma). We show that the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) onset occurred near a 405-thousand-year (kyr) eccentricity maximum, suggesting an orbital trigger. We also provide an independent PETM duration (170 ± 30 kyr) from onset to recovery inflection. Our astronomical solution requires a chaotic resonance transition at ~50 Ma in the Solar System’s fundamental frequencies.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aax0612