North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming

Robin van der Ploeg; Margot J. Cramwinckel; Ilja J. Kocken; Thomas J. Leutert; Steven M. Bohaty; Chris D. Fokkema; Pincelli M. Hull; A. Nele Meckler; Jack J. Middelburg; Inigo A. Müller; Donald E. Penman; Francien Peterse; Gert Jan Reichart; Philip F. Sexton; Maximilian Vahlenkamp; David De Vleeschouwer; Paul A. Wilson; Martin Ziegler; Appy Sluijs

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abq0110

North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming

Robin van der Ploeg^*, Margot J. Cramwinckel, Ilja J. Kocken, Thomas J. Leutert, Steven M. Bohaty, Chris D. Fokkema, Pincelli M. Hull, A. Nele Meckler, Jack J. Middelburg, Inigo A. Müller, Donald E. Penman, Francien Peterse, Gert Jan Reichart, Philip F. Sexton, Maximilian Vahlenkamp, David De Vleeschouwer, Paul A. Wilson, Martin Ziegler, Appy Sluijs

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Quantitative reconstructions of hydrological change during ancient greenhouse warming events provide valuable insight into warmer-than-modern hydrological cycles but are limited by paleoclimate proxy uncertainties. We present sea surface temperature (SST) records and seawater oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O_sw) estimates for the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), using coupled carbonate clumped isotope (Δ₄₇) and oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O_c) data of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera from the North Atlantic Newfoundland Drifts. These indicate a transient ~3°C warming across the MECO, with absolute temperatures generally in accordance with trace element (Mg/Ca)–based SSTs but lower than biomarker-based SSTs for the same interval. We find a transient ~0.5 ‰ shift toward higher δ¹⁸O_sw, which implies increased salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and potentially a poleward expansion of its northern boundary in response to greenhouse warming. These observations provide constraints on dynamic ocean response to warming events, which are consistent with theory and model simulations predicting an enhanced hydrological cycle under global warming.

Original language	English
Article number	eabq0110
Pages (from-to)	1-16
Number of pages	16
Journal	Science advances
Volume	9
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq0110
Publication status	Published - Jan 2023

Keywords

Climatic optimum meco
Planktic foraminifera
Thermal maximum
Proxy data
Temperature-gradient
Isotope analysis
Membrane-lipids
Atmospheric co2
Carbon-cycle
Global ocean

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van der Ploeg, R., Cramwinckel, M. J., Kocken, I. J., Leutert, T. J., Bohaty, S. M., Fokkema, C. D., Hull, P. M., Meckler, A. N., Middelburg, J. J., Müller, I. A., Penman, D. E., Peterse, F., Reichart, G. J., Sexton, P. F., Vahlenkamp, M., De Vleeschouwer, D., Wilson, P. A., Ziegler, M., & Sluijs, A. (2023). North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming. Science advances, 9(4), 1-16. Article eabq0110. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq0110

@article{06ea8460308e4427b925db1507b64ccb,

title = "North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming",

abstract = "Quantitative reconstructions of hydrological change during ancient greenhouse warming events provide valuable insight into warmer-than-modern hydrological cycles but are limited by paleoclimate proxy uncertainties. We present sea surface temperature (SST) records and seawater oxygen isotope (δ18Osw) estimates for the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), using coupled carbonate clumped isotope (Δ47) and oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) data of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera from the North Atlantic Newfoundland Drifts. These indicate a transient ~3°C warming across the MECO, with absolute temperatures generally in accordance with trace element (Mg/Ca)–based SSTs but lower than biomarker-based SSTs for the same interval. We find a transient ~0.5 ‰ shift toward higher δ18Osw, which implies increased salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and potentially a poleward expansion of its northern boundary in response to greenhouse warming. These observations provide constraints on dynamic ocean response to warming events, which are consistent with theory and model simulations predicting an enhanced hydrological cycle under global warming.",

keywords = "Climatic optimum meco, Planktic foraminifera, Thermal maximum, Proxy data, Temperature-gradient, Isotope analysis, Membrane-lipids, Atmospheric co2, Carbon-cycle, Global ocean",

author = "{van der Ploeg}, Robin and Cramwinckel, {Margot J.} and Kocken, {Ilja J.} and Leutert, {Thomas J.} and Bohaty, {Steven M.} and Fokkema, {Chris D.} and Hull, {Pincelli M.} and Meckler, {A. Nele} and Middelburg, {Jack J.} and M{\"u}ller, {Inigo A.} and Penman, {Donald E.} and Francien Peterse and Reichart, {Gert Jan} and Sexton, {Philip F.} and Maximilian Vahlenkamp and {De Vleeschouwer}, David and Wilson, {Paul A.} and Martin Ziegler and Appy Sluijs",

note = "Funding Information: We thank P. Pearson (Cardiff University) for discussions on foraminiferal taxonomy. We further acknowledge A. Roepert (UU), A. van Dijk (Utrecht Geolab), W. Boer (NIOZ), M. van der Meer (NIOZ), and W. Strojie (Yale University) for laboratory assistance and analytical support. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedback. This research used samples provided by the IODP. This work was carried out under the program of the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC), which is financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) of the Netherlands. A.N.M. and T.J.L. acknowledge European Research Council grant no. 638467 and Trond Mohn Foundation grant no. BFS2015REK01 for funding the clumped isotope analyses at UiB. P.M.H. and D.E.P. acknowledge support from NSF award no. 133526. A.S. thanks the European Research Council for consolidator grant no. 771497 (SPANC), and R.v.d.P. and A.S. thank the Ammodo Foundation for funding unfettered research of laureate A.S. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors, some rights reserved.",

year = "2023",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1126/sciadv.abq0110",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "1--16",

journal = "Science advances",

issn = "2375-2548",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "4",

}

van der Ploeg, R , Cramwinckel, MJ , Kocken, IJ, Leutert, TJ, Bohaty, SM, Fokkema, CD, Hull, PM, Meckler, AN, Middelburg, JJ, Müller, IA, Penman, DE, Peterse, F , Reichart, GJ, Sexton, PF, Vahlenkamp, M, De Vleeschouwer, D, Wilson, PA, Ziegler, M & Sluijs, A 2023, 'North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming', Science advances, vol. 9, no. 4, eabq0110, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq0110

TY - JOUR

T1 - North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming

AU - van der Ploeg, Robin

AU - Cramwinckel, Margot J.

AU - Kocken, Ilja J.

AU - Leutert, Thomas J.

AU - Bohaty, Steven M.

AU - Fokkema, Chris D.

AU - Hull, Pincelli M.

AU - Meckler, A. Nele

AU - Middelburg, Jack J.

AU - Müller, Inigo A.

AU - Penman, Donald E.

AU - Peterse, Francien

AU - Reichart, Gert Jan

AU - Sexton, Philip F.

AU - Vahlenkamp, Maximilian

AU - De Vleeschouwer, David

AU - Wilson, Paul A.

AU - Ziegler, Martin

AU - Sluijs, Appy

N1 - Funding Information: We thank P. Pearson (Cardiff University) for discussions on foraminiferal taxonomy. We further acknowledge A. Roepert (UU), A. van Dijk (Utrecht Geolab), W. Boer (NIOZ), M. van der Meer (NIOZ), and W. Strojie (Yale University) for laboratory assistance and analytical support. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedback. This research used samples provided by the IODP. This work was carried out under the program of the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC), which is financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) of the Netherlands. A.N.M. and T.J.L. acknowledge European Research Council grant no. 638467 and Trond Mohn Foundation grant no. BFS2015REK01 for funding the clumped isotope analyses at UiB. P.M.H. and D.E.P. acknowledge support from NSF award no. 133526. A.S. thanks the European Research Council for consolidator grant no. 771497 (SPANC), and R.v.d.P. and A.S. thank the Ammodo Foundation for funding unfettered research of laureate A.S. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors, some rights reserved.

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - Quantitative reconstructions of hydrological change during ancient greenhouse warming events provide valuable insight into warmer-than-modern hydrological cycles but are limited by paleoclimate proxy uncertainties. We present sea surface temperature (SST) records and seawater oxygen isotope (δ18Osw) estimates for the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), using coupled carbonate clumped isotope (Δ47) and oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) data of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera from the North Atlantic Newfoundland Drifts. These indicate a transient ~3°C warming across the MECO, with absolute temperatures generally in accordance with trace element (Mg/Ca)–based SSTs but lower than biomarker-based SSTs for the same interval. We find a transient ~0.5 ‰ shift toward higher δ18Osw, which implies increased salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and potentially a poleward expansion of its northern boundary in response to greenhouse warming. These observations provide constraints on dynamic ocean response to warming events, which are consistent with theory and model simulations predicting an enhanced hydrological cycle under global warming.

AB - Quantitative reconstructions of hydrological change during ancient greenhouse warming events provide valuable insight into warmer-than-modern hydrological cycles but are limited by paleoclimate proxy uncertainties. We present sea surface temperature (SST) records and seawater oxygen isotope (δ18Osw) estimates for the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), using coupled carbonate clumped isotope (Δ47) and oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) data of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera from the North Atlantic Newfoundland Drifts. These indicate a transient ~3°C warming across the MECO, with absolute temperatures generally in accordance with trace element (Mg/Ca)–based SSTs but lower than biomarker-based SSTs for the same interval. We find a transient ~0.5 ‰ shift toward higher δ18Osw, which implies increased salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and potentially a poleward expansion of its northern boundary in response to greenhouse warming. These observations provide constraints on dynamic ocean response to warming events, which are consistent with theory and model simulations predicting an enhanced hydrological cycle under global warming.

KW - Climatic optimum meco

KW - Planktic foraminifera

KW - Thermal maximum

KW - Proxy data

KW - Temperature-gradient

KW - Isotope analysis

KW - Membrane-lipids

KW - Atmospheric co2

KW - Carbon-cycle

KW - Global ocean

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146842943&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.abq0110

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.abq0110

M3 - Article

C2 - 36696500

AN - SCOPUS:85146842943

SN - 2375-2548

VL - 9

SP - 1

EP - 16

JO - Science advances

JF - Science advances

IS - 4

M1 - eabq0110

ER -

North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming

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