Abstract
The late Maastrichtian warming event was defined by a global temperature increase of ∼2.5–5 °C that occurred ∼150–300 k.y. before the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction. This transient warming event has traditionally been associated with a major pulse of Deccan Traps (west-central India) volcanism; however, large uncertainties associated with radiogenic dating methods have long hampered a definitive correlation. Here we present a new high-resolution, single species, benthic stable isotope record from the South Atlantic, calibrated to an updated orbitally tuned age model, to provide a revised chronology of the event, which we then correlate to the latest radiogenic dates of the main Deccan Traps eruption phases. Our data reveal that the initiation of deep-sea warming coincides, within uncertainty, with the onset of the main phase of Deccan volcanism, strongly suggesting a causal link. The onset of deep-sea warming is synchronous with a 405 k.y. eccentricity minimum, excluding a control by orbital forcing alone, although amplified carbon cycle sensitivity to orbital precession is evident during the greenhouse warming. A more precise understanding of Deccan-induced climate change paves the way for future work focusing on the fundamental role of these precursor climate shifts in the K-Pg mass extinction.
Highlights
A period of rapid climate change, represented initially by a transient global warming event and followed by a global cooling, occurred during the last few hundred thousand years of the Maastrichtian and may have played an ancillary role in the ultimate demise of many terrestrial and marine biota at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (e.g., Keller et al, 2016)
Enhanced deep-sea carbonate dissolution, most pronounced in the high latitudes (Henehan et al, 2016), and abrupt decreases in vertical temperature and carbon isotope gradients in the marine water column have been documented (Li and Keller, 1998). This transient warming event has previously been linked to a major pulse of Deccan Traps volcanism, centered in modern-day western India; until recently, the large uncertainties associated with radiogenic dating have hampered a robust correlation (e.g., Chenet et al, 2007)
To complement advances in dating of the volcanic sequences, we present the highest resolution (1.5–4 k.y.), complete single species benthic stable isotope record produced to date, calibrated to an updated orbitally tuned age model, for the final million years of the Maastrichtian and the first 500 k.y. of the Danian
Summary
A period of rapid climate change, represented initially by a transient global warming event and followed by a global cooling, occurred during the last few hundred thousand years of the Maastrichtian and may have played an ancillary role in the ultimate demise of many terrestrial and marine biota at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (e.g., Keller et al, 2016). Enhanced deep-sea carbonate dissolution, most pronounced in the high latitudes (Henehan et al, 2016), and abrupt decreases in vertical temperature and carbon isotope gradients in the marine water column have been documented (Li and Keller, 1998) This transient warming event has previously been linked to a major pulse of Deccan Traps volcanism, centered in modern-day western India; until recently, the large uncertainties associated with radiogenic dating have hampered a robust correlation (e.g., Chenet et al, 2007). This allows us to much more accurately correlate the major climatic shifts of the terminal Maastrichtian with Deccan volcanism, facilitating future work investigating the link between Deccaninduced climate change and the K-Pg mass extinction
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