Editorial preface to special issue: Response of marine and terrestrial environments to Triassic–Paleogene hyperthermals

Abstract

The Mesozoic–Paleogene hyperthermals represent critical intervals of rapid global warming associated with abrupt carbon cycle perturbations. These events can provide valuable deep-time insights into how climate might respond to the current rise in temperatures driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This special issue comprises 17 publications that cover a broad spectrum of the research on hyperthermals, and these can be grouped into four main themes: (1) carbon-cycle perturbations, (2) environmental changes and biogeochemical extremes, (3) biotic responses to warming, and (4) long-term climatic and environmental changes in greenhouse climates. By integrating sedimentological, geochemical, and paleontological methods, the studies in this issue explore carbon sources and release mechanisms, provide insights into the initiation, development, and termination of hyperthermal events, and elucidate their longer-term impacts. The studies provide new insights into the interactions between short-term extreme events and long-term climate trends, offering valuable perspectives on the future trajectory of Earth's climate in response to ongoing anthropogenic warming.