Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum

E905193

global warming event hyperthermal event paleoclimatic event

The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum was a brief, extreme global warming event about 56 million years ago marked by rapid temperature rise, massive carbon release, and major disruptions to Earth’s climate and ecosystems.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form	Occurrences
Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum	1

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	global warming event ⓘ hyperthermal event ⓘ paleoclimatic event ⓘ
affects	atmosphere ⓘ cryosphere ⓘ marine ecosystems ⓘ terrestrial ecosystems ⓘ
associatedWith	North Atlantic Igneous Province NERFINISHED ⓘ early evolution of modern mammal groups ⓘ migration of artiodactyls ⓘ migration of perissodactyls ⓘ migration of primates ⓘ
carbonReleaseMagnitude	thousands of gigatons of carbon ⓘ
characterizedBy	global temperature increase of about 5–8 °C ⓘ rapid onset over a few thousand years ⓘ strong negative δ13C excursion ⓘ
duration	on the order of 100,000 to 200,000 years ⓘ
follows	Late Paleocene ⓘ
hasCause	massive carbon release ⓘ
hasEffect	changes in ocean circulation ⓘ changes in terrestrial vegetation ⓘ deep-ocean warming ⓘ disruption of carbon cycle ⓘ dissolution of deep-sea carbonates ⓘ enhanced sediment delivery to oceans ⓘ extinctions of deep-sea benthic foraminifera ⓘ increased weathering rates ⓘ intensified hydrological cycle ⓘ mammalian dispersal and diversification ⓘ negative carbon isotope excursion ⓘ ocean acidification ⓘ poleward migration of many species ⓘ rapid global temperature rise ⓘ widespread biotic turnover ⓘ
location	global ⓘ
partOf	Cenozoic Era NERFINISHED ⓘ Paleogene Period NERFINISHED ⓘ
possibleCause	combination of multiple carbon sources ⓘ methane hydrate release ⓘ oxidation of organic carbon ⓘ volcanism associated with North Atlantic Igneous Province ⓘ
precedes	Early Eocene Climatic Optimum NERFINISHED ⓘ
relevance	analog for modern anthropogenic climate change ⓘ case study of rapid carbon cycle perturbation ⓘ
startTime	approximately 56 million years ago ⓘ
studiedUsing	marine sediment cores ⓘ microfossil assemblages ⓘ stable isotope analysis ⓘ terrestrial sediment records ⓘ
temporalLocation	boundary between Paleocene and Eocene epochs ⓘ

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Paleogene climatic optimums → hasComponent → Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum ⓘ

this entity surface form: Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum