Paleocene to Early Eocene paleoceanography of the Middle East: The δ13C and δ18O isotopes from foraminiferal calcite

Abstract

Paleocene to early Eocene benthic foraminiferal δ13C and δ18O records from southern Tethyan sections at Ben Gurion, Israel (paleodepth 500–700 m), and Gebel Aweina, Egypt (paleodepth 150–200 m), show generally similar trends but 1–3‰ more negative values than coeval deep‐sea isotopic records. In both Tethyan sections a negative δ13C excursion of 2.5–3‰ marks the benthic extinction event in the latest Paleocene. For at least 1 m.y. after this event, δ13C values were 1.5–2‰ more negative on the shelf than at upper bathyal depths, reflecting a deepening of the oxygen minimum zone, possibly related to an increase or spatial shift in upwelling. Benthic δ18O records indicate a 2–4°C temperature gradient between the shelf and upper bathyal depths. Temperature‐salinity reconstructions suggest that upwelling was a dominant mechanism for surface water formation in this part of the southern Tethys during the late Paleocene.