Assessing the Duration of the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum

作者：Victor A. Piedrahita, David Heslop, Andrew P. Roberts, Eelco J. Rohling, Simone Galeotti, Fabio Florindo, Jinhua Li · 发表于：Geophysical Research Letters · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1029/2024gl113117 · 被引用次数：13 · 研究领域：Geology and Paleoclimatology Research、Geological and Geochemical Analysis、Evolution and Paleontology Studies

Abstract The Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a climate/carbon cycle perturbation recognized in stable carbon isotope (δ 13 C) records with a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). The PETM CIE termination has been associated with a δ 13 C inflection with pre‐PETM‐like values referred to as the G point. However, the G point approach has produced variable PETM CIE duration estimates (∼120–230 kyr), which reflects a need to test its reliability. Here, we apply statistical analyses to existing δ 13 C records and reveal that the G point is sensitive to underlying δ 13 C uncertainties. We generate a probabilistic‐based CIE detection limit, which constrains the time range over which the PETM is detected in δ 13 C records. This protocol reveals a protracted CIE recovery (>145 kyr) that accounts for a 268.8 +21.2 / −20.5 kyr PETM CIE duration. Our new duration estimate exceeds previous values, which confirms the potential of extreme carbon cycle perturbations to cause long‐lasting carbon cycle disruptions.