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Substantial continental temperature rise over the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in the Pyrenees

Újvári, Gábor ; Kele, Sándor ; Rinyu, László ; Payros, Aitor ; Stadelmaier, Kim H. ; Kovács, János ; Kovács, Ivett ; Bajnóczi, Bernadett ; Pujalte, Victoriano and Schmitz, Birger LU , et al. (2025) In Communications Earth and Environment 6(1).
Abstract

The Eocene period experienced several hyperthermal events with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum being the most significant. During this event, global mean surface temperatures were 5–6 °C higher and latitudinal temperature gradients were reduced compared to the late Paleocene. Unlike marine temperature records, terrestrial archives are limited, posing challenges for testing climate model competence in simulating the magnitude and spatial patterns of temperature change under a high carbon dioxide climate. Here we analysed mudstone paleosols from the Tremp Group in Spain to reconstruct soil temperatures using carbonate nodules. Clumped isotopes revealed median calcification temperatures of 33.9 and 39.2 °C for the Late Paleocene and... (More)

The Eocene period experienced several hyperthermal events with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum being the most significant. During this event, global mean surface temperatures were 5–6 °C higher and latitudinal temperature gradients were reduced compared to the late Paleocene. Unlike marine temperature records, terrestrial archives are limited, posing challenges for testing climate model competence in simulating the magnitude and spatial patterns of temperature change under a high carbon dioxide climate. Here we analysed mudstone paleosols from the Tremp Group in Spain to reconstruct soil temperatures using carbonate nodules. Clumped isotopes revealed median calcification temperatures of 33.9 and 39.2 °C for the Late Paleocene and Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, respectively. The findings suggest a ~5 °C summer soil temperature increase during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Continental proxy and model data indicate reduced (0.7–0.4 °C/degree) meridional temperature gradients between 25 and 75°N latitudes, indicating more uniform heat distribution across latitudes than at present.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Communications Earth and Environment
volume
6
issue
1
article number
499
publisher
Springer Nature
external identifiers
  • scopus:105010005471
ISSN
2662-4435
DOI
10.1038/s43247-025-02479-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e938510c-9c3d-4cec-92b7-3e3cd8904ba5
date added to LUP
2025-10-28 12:29:11
date last changed
2025-10-28 12:29:11
@article{e938510c-9c3d-4cec-92b7-3e3cd8904ba5,
  abstract     = {{<p>The Eocene period experienced several hyperthermal events with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum being the most significant. During this event, global mean surface temperatures were 5–6 °C higher and latitudinal temperature gradients were reduced compared to the late Paleocene. Unlike marine temperature records, terrestrial archives are limited, posing challenges for testing climate model competence in simulating the magnitude and spatial patterns of temperature change under a high carbon dioxide climate. Here we analysed mudstone paleosols from the Tremp Group in Spain to reconstruct soil temperatures using carbonate nodules. Clumped isotopes revealed median calcification temperatures of 33.9 and 39.2 °C for the Late Paleocene and Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, respectively. The findings suggest a ~5 °C summer soil temperature increase during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Continental proxy and model data indicate reduced (0.7–0.4 °C/degree) meridional temperature gradients between 25 and 75°N latitudes, indicating more uniform heat distribution across latitudes than at present.</p>}},
  author       = {{Újvári, Gábor and Kele, Sándor and Rinyu, László and Payros, Aitor and Stadelmaier, Kim H. and Kovács, János and Kovács, Ivett and Bajnóczi, Bernadett and Pujalte, Victoriano and Schmitz, Birger and Bernasconi, Stefano M.}},
  issn         = {{2662-4435}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Springer Nature}},
  series       = {{Communications Earth and Environment}},
  title        = {{Substantial continental temperature rise over the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in the Pyrenees}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02479-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s43247-025-02479-8}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}