North Atlantic Temperature Change Across the Eocene-Oligocene Transition From Clumped Isotopes

The Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) (∼34 Ma) is marked by the rapid development of a semi-permanent Antarctic ice-sheet, as indicated by ice-rafted debris and a 1–1.5‰ increase in deep sea δ¹⁸O. Proxy reconstructions indicate a drop in atmospheric CO₂ and global cooling. How these changes affected surface ocean temperatures in the North Atlantic and ocean water stratification remains poorly constrained. In this study, we apply clumped-isotope thermometry to well-preserved planktonic foraminifera, that are associated with lower mixed-layer to subthermocline dwelling depths from the drift sediments at international ocean discovery program Site 1411, Newfoundland, across four intervals bracketing the EOT. The thermocline/lower mixed-layer dwelling foraminifera record a cooling of 1.9 ± 3.5 K (mean ± 95% CI) across the EOT. While the cooling amplitude is similar to previous sea surface temperature (SST) reconstructions, absolute temperatures (Eocene 20.0 ± 2.9°C, Oligocene 18.0 ± 2.2°C) appear colder than previous organic proxy reconstructions for the northernmost Atlantic extrapolated to this location. We discuss seasonal bias, recording depth, and appropriate consideration of paleolatitudes, all of which complicate the comparison between SST reconstructions and model output. Our subthermocline dwelling foraminifera record a larger cooling across the EOT (Eocene 19.0 ± 3.5°C, Oligocene 13.0 ± 3.2°C, cooling of 5.5 ± 4.6 K) than foraminifera from the thermocline/lower mixed-layer, consistent with global cooling and an increase in ocean stratification which may be related to the onset or intensification of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.