No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events
Abstract Two distinct extraterrestrial impacts events struck the Earth less than 25,000 years apart in the late Eocene, approximately 35.65 million years ago. These resulted in the Popigai (northern Siberia) and Chesapeake Bay (eastern North America) impacts structures, the largest of the Cenozoic e...
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Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01874-x |
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| author | Bridget S. Wade Natalie K. Y. Cheng |
| author_facet | Bridget S. Wade Natalie K. Y. Cheng |
| author_sort | Bridget S. Wade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Two distinct extraterrestrial impacts events struck the Earth less than 25,000 years apart in the late Eocene, approximately 35.65 million years ago. These resulted in the Popigai (northern Siberia) and Chesapeake Bay (eastern North America) impacts structures, the largest of the Cenozoic era. To examine the paleoclimatic consequences attributed to the late Eocene Chesapeake and Popigai extraterrestrial impact events, we present multispecies planktonic and benthic foraminiferal oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope records. Here we generate data from the Gulf of Mexico, Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 94 covering 35.85 to 35.49 million years ago. No isotopic anomalies or excursions were recorded across the impact horizons. However, ~100,000 years before the impacts, a negative 0.75‰ δ18O shift occurs in planktonic foraminifera, coincident with a 0.25‰ positive change in benthic foraminifera. We interpret this as a warming of ~2 °C in the surface ocean, accompanied by 1 °C deep water cooling, but these modifications are before and not coeval with the impact horizons. Despite the close succession of two or more large extraterrestrial impact events within a short space of time (less than 25,000 years), our study from the Gulf of Mexico indicates no detectable paleoclimatic response. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6de17ca1c3654c6d927601f56d11146b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-6de17ca1c3654c6d927601f56d11146b2024-12-08T12:47:00ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-12-01511710.1038/s43247-024-01874-xNo paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact eventsBridget S. Wade0Natalie K. Y. Cheng1Department of Earth Sciences, University College LondonDepartment of Earth Sciences, University College LondonAbstract Two distinct extraterrestrial impacts events struck the Earth less than 25,000 years apart in the late Eocene, approximately 35.65 million years ago. These resulted in the Popigai (northern Siberia) and Chesapeake Bay (eastern North America) impacts structures, the largest of the Cenozoic era. To examine the paleoclimatic consequences attributed to the late Eocene Chesapeake and Popigai extraterrestrial impact events, we present multispecies planktonic and benthic foraminiferal oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope records. Here we generate data from the Gulf of Mexico, Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 94 covering 35.85 to 35.49 million years ago. No isotopic anomalies or excursions were recorded across the impact horizons. However, ~100,000 years before the impacts, a negative 0.75‰ δ18O shift occurs in planktonic foraminifera, coincident with a 0.25‰ positive change in benthic foraminifera. We interpret this as a warming of ~2 °C in the surface ocean, accompanied by 1 °C deep water cooling, but these modifications are before and not coeval with the impact horizons. Despite the close succession of two or more large extraterrestrial impact events within a short space of time (less than 25,000 years), our study from the Gulf of Mexico indicates no detectable paleoclimatic response.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01874-x |
| spellingShingle | Bridget S. Wade Natalie K. Y. Cheng No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events |
| title_full | No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events |
| title_fullStr | No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events |
| title_full_unstemmed | No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events |
| title_short | No paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late Eocene extraterrestrial impact events |
| title_sort | no paleoclimatic anomalies are associated with the late eocene extraterrestrial impact events |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01874-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bridgetswade nopaleoclimaticanomaliesareassociatedwiththelateeoceneextraterrestrialimpactevents AT nataliekycheng nopaleoclimaticanomaliesareassociatedwiththelateeoceneextraterrestrialimpactevents |