Abstract
Paleotemperature reconstructions linked to Deccan traps volcanic greenhouse gas emissions and associated feedbacks in the lead-up to the end-Cretaceous meteorite impact and extinction document local and global climate trends during a key interval of geologic history. Here, we present a new clumped-isotope-based paleotemperature record derived from fossil bivalves from the Maastrichtian type region, in southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium. Clumped isotope data documents a mean temperature of 19.2 ± 3.8 °C, consistent with other Maastrichtian temperature estimates, and an average seawater δ18O value of −0.3 ± 0.9 ‰ VSMOW for the region during the latest Cretaceous (67.1–66.0 Ma). A notable temperature increase at ~66.4 Ma is interpreted to be a regional manifestation of the globally-defined Late Maastrichtian Warming Event, linking Deccan Traps volcanic CO2 emissions prior to the end-Cretaceous extinction to climate change in the Maastricht region. Fluctuating seawater δ18O values coinciding with temperature changes suggest alternating influences of warm, salty southern-sourced waters and cooler, fresher northern-sourced waters from the Arctic Ocean. This new paleotemperature record contributes to the understanding of regional and global climate response to large-scale volcanism and ocean circulation changes leading up to a catastrophic mass extinction.
Highlights
During the Late Maastrichtian, greenhouse gas emissions from the emplacement of the vast Deccan Traps large igneous province (LIP) on the Indian subcontinent resulted in global warming
Paleotemperature reconstructions linked to Deccan traps volcanic greenhouse gas emissions and associated feedbacks in the lead-up to the end-Cretaceous meteorite impact and extinction document local and global climate trends 10 during a key interval of geologic history
20 1 Introduction During the Late Maastrichtian, greenhouse gas emissions from the emplacement of the vast Deccan Traps large igneous province (LIP) on the Indian subcontinent resulted in global warming
Summary
During the Late Maastrichtian, greenhouse gas emissions from the emplacement of the vast Deccan Traps large igneous province (LIP) on the Indian subcontinent resulted in global warming (see Hull et al, 2020 and references therein). This warming event (termed the Late Maastrichtian Warm Event or LMWE; Woelders et al, 2018) has been observed in multiple locations and has been dated to approximately coincide with the onset of major Deccan volcanism (66.413 ± 0.067 Ma; 25 Sprain et al, 2019). Deccan Traps volcanism and associated feedbacks and the Chicxulub bolide impact create a complex record of paleoenvironmental disturbances through the end-Cretaceous, leading to the rapid extinction of ~70 % of species on Earth (Schulte et al, 2010)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
