Severe late Miocene droughts affected western Eurasia

Geanina A. Butiseacă; Iuliana Vasiliev; Marcel T.J. van der Meer; Wout Krijgsman; Dan V. Palcu; Angelica Feurdean; Eva M. Niedermeyer; Andreas Mulch

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103644

Severe late Miocene droughts affected western Eurasia

Geanina A. Butiseacă^*, Iuliana Vasiliev, Marcel T.J. van der Meer, Wout Krijgsman, Dan V. Palcu, Angelica Feurdean, Eva M. Niedermeyer, Andreas Mulch

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

Abstract

A large and highly dynamic aquatic system called Paratethys governed important elements of the middle and late Miocene (15.97–5.33 Ma) hydrology in western Eurasia. So far, the impact of the vast Paratethys water body on the Eurasian climate, however, is not yet understood. Here we apply biomarker analyses coupled to compound-specific hydrogen and carbon isotope data to track changes in sea surface temperature, mean annual air temperature, hydrological budget and vegetation changes to reconstruct long-term western Eurasian climate conditions between 12.7 and 7.65 Ma in the Black Sea region. Biomarker data from Panagia (Russia) indicate the presence of three exceptionally evaporative intervals peaking at 9.65, 9.4 and 7.9 Ma. These peaks in evaporation relate to aridity, parallel increasing fire activity and are associated with changes in vegetation. Carbon isotope and pollen data support the evidence of an increase in C₄ plants associated with these dry intervals. At 9.66 Ma, alkenone producing algae appear in the basin and thrive for the subsequent two million years. Cumulative fluctuations in both hydrology and surface temperature of Paratethys might have enhanced rainfall seasonality in western Eurasia as a response to changes in evaporation over the Paratethys basin. Our combined data suggest a strong regional imprint on overall climate patterns, dominated by basin dynamics causing Paratethys volume and surface reduction. Collectively, the presented biomarker results provide evidence of severe droughts affecting the late Miocene circum-Paratethys region, leading to a direct impact on the evolution of biota in the basin and its surroundings.

Original language	English
Article number	103644
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Global and Planetary Change
Volume	206
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103644
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011] of W.K. by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft f?r Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de S?o Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005?2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript.

Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011 ] of W.K., by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1 ] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6 ]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005–2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011] of W.K. by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft f?r Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de S?o Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005?2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript. This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011 ] of W.K., by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1 ] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6 ]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005–2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript.

Keywords

Biomarkers
Isotope geochemistry
Late Miocene droughts
Paratethys isolation
Vegetation shift

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103644

1-s2.0-S0921818121002290-mainFinal published version, 13.6 MBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

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title = "Severe late Miocene droughts affected western Eurasia",

abstract = "A large and highly dynamic aquatic system called Paratethys governed important elements of the middle and late Miocene (15.97–5.33 Ma) hydrology in western Eurasia. So far, the impact of the vast Paratethys water body on the Eurasian climate, however, is not yet understood. Here we apply biomarker analyses coupled to compound-specific hydrogen and carbon isotope data to track changes in sea surface temperature, mean annual air temperature, hydrological budget and vegetation changes to reconstruct long-term western Eurasian climate conditions between 12.7 and 7.65 Ma in the Black Sea region. Biomarker data from Panagia (Russia) indicate the presence of three exceptionally evaporative intervals peaking at 9.65, 9.4 and 7.9 Ma. These peaks in evaporation relate to aridity, parallel increasing fire activity and are associated with changes in vegetation. Carbon isotope and pollen data support the evidence of an increase in C4 plants associated with these dry intervals. At 9.66 Ma, alkenone producing algae appear in the basin and thrive for the subsequent two million years. Cumulative fluctuations in both hydrology and surface temperature of Paratethys might have enhanced rainfall seasonality in western Eurasia as a response to changes in evaporation over the Paratethys basin. Our combined data suggest a strong regional imprint on overall climate patterns, dominated by basin dynamics causing Paratethys volume and surface reduction. Collectively, the presented biomarker results provide evidence of severe droughts affecting the late Miocene circum-Paratethys region, leading to a direct impact on the evolution of biota in the basin and its surroundings.",

keywords = "Biomarkers, Isotope geochemistry, Late Miocene droughts, Paratethys isolation, Vegetation shift",

author = "Butiseac{\u a}, \{Geanina A.\} and Iuliana Vasiliev and \{van der Meer\}, \{Marcel T.J.\} and Wout Krijgsman and Palcu, \{Dan V.\} and Angelica Feurdean and Niedermeyer, \{Eva M.\} and Andreas Mulch",

note = "Funding Information: This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011] of W.K. by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft f?r Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de S?o Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005?2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript. Funding Information: This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011 ] of W.K., by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1 ] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Funda{\c c}{\~a}o de Amparo {\`a} Pesquisa do Estado de S{\~a}o Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6 ]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005–2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103644",

language = "English",

volume = "206",

pages = "1--12",

journal = "Global and Planetary Change",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Severe late Miocene droughts affected western Eurasia

AU - Butiseacă, Geanina A.

AU - Vasiliev, Iuliana

AU - van der Meer, Marcel T.J.

AU - Krijgsman, Wout

AU - Palcu, Dan V.

AU - Feurdean, Angelica

AU - Niedermeyer, Eva M.

AU - Mulch, Andreas

N1 - Funding Information: This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011] of W.K. by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft f?r Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de S?o Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005?2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript. Funding Information: This work was financially supported by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [grant 865.10.011 ] of W.K., by German Science Foundation (DFG) [grant VA 1221/2-1 ] of I.V. and Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. D.P. acknowledges the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support [grant 2018/20733-6 ]. I.V. and W.K. thank the sampling team (A. Iosifidi, V. Popov, S. Popov and M. Stoica) during 2005–2006 campaigns. G.B. and I.V. thank Ulrich Treffert for support in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory. Special thanks from G.B. to the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (NIOZ). We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that improved the original manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - A large and highly dynamic aquatic system called Paratethys governed important elements of the middle and late Miocene (15.97–5.33 Ma) hydrology in western Eurasia. So far, the impact of the vast Paratethys water body on the Eurasian climate, however, is not yet understood. Here we apply biomarker analyses coupled to compound-specific hydrogen and carbon isotope data to track changes in sea surface temperature, mean annual air temperature, hydrological budget and vegetation changes to reconstruct long-term western Eurasian climate conditions between 12.7 and 7.65 Ma in the Black Sea region. Biomarker data from Panagia (Russia) indicate the presence of three exceptionally evaporative intervals peaking at 9.65, 9.4 and 7.9 Ma. These peaks in evaporation relate to aridity, parallel increasing fire activity and are associated with changes in vegetation. Carbon isotope and pollen data support the evidence of an increase in C4 plants associated with these dry intervals. At 9.66 Ma, alkenone producing algae appear in the basin and thrive for the subsequent two million years. Cumulative fluctuations in both hydrology and surface temperature of Paratethys might have enhanced rainfall seasonality in western Eurasia as a response to changes in evaporation over the Paratethys basin. Our combined data suggest a strong regional imprint on overall climate patterns, dominated by basin dynamics causing Paratethys volume and surface reduction. Collectively, the presented biomarker results provide evidence of severe droughts affecting the late Miocene circum-Paratethys region, leading to a direct impact on the evolution of biota in the basin and its surroundings.

AB - A large and highly dynamic aquatic system called Paratethys governed important elements of the middle and late Miocene (15.97–5.33 Ma) hydrology in western Eurasia. So far, the impact of the vast Paratethys water body on the Eurasian climate, however, is not yet understood. Here we apply biomarker analyses coupled to compound-specific hydrogen and carbon isotope data to track changes in sea surface temperature, mean annual air temperature, hydrological budget and vegetation changes to reconstruct long-term western Eurasian climate conditions between 12.7 and 7.65 Ma in the Black Sea region. Biomarker data from Panagia (Russia) indicate the presence of three exceptionally evaporative intervals peaking at 9.65, 9.4 and 7.9 Ma. These peaks in evaporation relate to aridity, parallel increasing fire activity and are associated with changes in vegetation. Carbon isotope and pollen data support the evidence of an increase in C4 plants associated with these dry intervals. At 9.66 Ma, alkenone producing algae appear in the basin and thrive for the subsequent two million years. Cumulative fluctuations in both hydrology and surface temperature of Paratethys might have enhanced rainfall seasonality in western Eurasia as a response to changes in evaporation over the Paratethys basin. Our combined data suggest a strong regional imprint on overall climate patterns, dominated by basin dynamics causing Paratethys volume and surface reduction. Collectively, the presented biomarker results provide evidence of severe droughts affecting the late Miocene circum-Paratethys region, leading to a direct impact on the evolution of biota in the basin and its surroundings.

KW - Biomarkers

KW - Isotope geochemistry

KW - Late Miocene droughts

KW - Paratethys isolation

KW - Vegetation shift

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85114737414

U2 - 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103644

DO - 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103644

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85114737414

SN - 0921-8181

VL - 206

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Global and Planetary Change

JF - Global and Planetary Change

M1 - 103644

ER -

Severe late Miocene droughts affected western Eurasia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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