Settling the issue of “decoupling” between atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature: [CO2]atm reconstructions across the warming Paleogene-Neogene divide

Abstract

Research Article| October 02, 2017 Settling the issue of “decoupling” between atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature: [CO2]atm reconstructions across the warming Paleogene-Neogene divide Tekie Tesfamichael; Tekie Tesfamichael 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bonnie Jacobs; Bonnie Jacobs 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Neil Tabor; Neil Tabor 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Lauren Michel; Lauren Michel 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA2Department of Earth Sciences, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ellen Currano; Ellen Currano 3Departments of Botany and Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mulugeta Feseha; Mulugeta Feseha 4College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 1176, Ethiopia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Richard Barclay; Richard Barclay 5National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John Kappelman; John Kappelman 6Departments of Anthropology and Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mark Schmitz Mark Schmitz 7Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Tekie Tesfamichael 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA Bonnie Jacobs 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA Neil Tabor 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA Lauren Michel 1Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA2Department of Earth Sciences, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, USA Ellen Currano 3Departments of Botany and Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA Mulugeta Feseha 4College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 1176, Ethiopia Richard Barclay 5National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, USA John Kappelman 6Departments of Anthropology and Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA Mark Schmitz 7Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 11 Feb 2017 Revision Received: 27 Jul 2017 Accepted: 01 Aug 2017 First Online: 02 Oct 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2682 Print Issn: 0091-7613 © 2017 Geological Society of America Geology (2017) 45 (11): 999–1002. https://doi.org/10.1130/G39048.1 Article history Received: 11 Feb 2017 Revision Received: 27 Jul 2017 Accepted: 01 Aug 2017 First Online: 02 Oct 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Tekie Tesfamichael, Bonnie Jacobs, Neil Tabor, Lauren Michel, Ellen Currano, Mulugeta Feseha, Richard Barclay, John Kappelman, Mark Schmitz; Settling the issue of “decoupling” between atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature: [CO2]atm reconstructions across the warming Paleogene-Neogene divide. Geology 2017;; 45 (11): 999–1002. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G39048.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Recent variations in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]atm) have been shown to affect carbon fixation during photosynthesis and are correlated with anatomical and physiological changes observed in leaves of woody dicots. These include changes in stomatal frequency and size and in δ13C values. These attributes can be measured on organically preserved leaf fossils, and therefore can be used as proxies for Earth’s atmospheric CO2 history. This study tests the link between [CO2]atm and global temperature for the late Oligocene and early Miocene using fossil leaves collected from Ethiopia, by estimating [CO2]atm using a leaf gas exchange model. The results of this study show a statistically significant [CO2]atm rise from ∼390 ppm in the late Oligocene to ∼870 ppm in the early Miocene. These values demonstrate a positive correlation between [CO2]atm and global average temperature, contrary to some previous studies for this time interval. The results of this study have important implications for understanding future climate change driven by rising [CO2]atm. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.