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Journal of the Geological Society; 1998; v. 155; issue.4; p. 591-594;
DOI: 10.1144/gsjgs.155.4.0591
© 1998 Geological Society of London

SPECIAL

Fossil plants record an atmospheric 12CO2 and temperature spike across the Palaeocene-Eocene transition in NW Europe

D. J. BEERLING1 & D. W. JOLLEY2

1 Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield SW 2TN, UK
2 Centre for Palynology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield SI 3JD, UK '

The large negative excursion of carbon-isotope composition ({delta}13C) recorded from foraminifera and bulk carbonates indicates a major anomaly in the operation of the global carbon cycle across the Palaeocene-Eocene boundary. Therefore, we sought terrestrial evidence for the transfer of isotopically light carbon (12CO2) from the ocean to the atmosphere by making systematic {delta}13C measurements or well-dated sequences of fossil pollen from NW Europe. The results indicate an atmospheric 12CO2 spike of c. 2 % between 58 and 55 Ma coincident with the ocean isotopic anomalies. Pollen spectra from these sequences suggest a marked shift in dominance from mixed mesophytic to paratropical forests synchronous with the terrestrial isotope excursion.

Key Words: Palaeocene • Eocene • carbon dioxide • palaeoclimates • palynology




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