Constraints on global mean sea level during Pliocene warmth

Dumitru, Oana Alexandra; Austermann, Jacqueline; Polyak, Victor J.; Fornós, Joan J.; Asmerom, Yemane; Ginés, Joaquín; Ginés, Àngel; Onac, Bogdan P.

doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1543-2

Cited by 117 publications

(170 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The Pliocene Epoch (2.588 to 5.3 Ma) was a time when global temperatures were ~3 °C warmer than the pre-industrial 1 and sea level was ~20 m higher than present 2,3 , largely due to the presence of smaller Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets 2 . Given that many other tectonic boundary conditions were similar (but not identical 4 ) to today, the Pliocene Epoch, and the mid-Piacenzian warm period (mPWP; 3 to 3.3 Ma) in particular, are useful targets for climate model validation studies (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric CO2 during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period and the M2 glaciation

Vega

Chalk

Wilson

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

126

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Atmospheric co 2 during the Midpiacenzian Warm period and the M2 glaciation Elwyn de la Vega ✉ , thomas B. chalk, Paul A. Wilson, Ratna Priya Bysani & Gavin L. foster The Piacenzian stage of the Pliocene (2.6 to 3.6 Ma) is the most recent past interval of sustained global warmth with mean global temperatures markedly higher (by ~2-3 °C) than today. Quantifying CO 2 levels during the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period (mPWP) provides a means, therefore, to deepen our understanding of Earth System behaviour in a warm climate state. Here we present a new highresolution record of atmospheric CO 2 using the δ 11 B-pH proxy from 3.35 to 3.15 million years ago (Ma) at a temporal resolution of 1 sample per 3-6 thousand years (kyrs). Our study interval covers both the coolest marine isotope stage of the mPWP, M2 (~3.3 Ma) and the transition into its warmest phase including interglacial KM5c (centered on ~3.205 Ma) which has a similar orbital configuration to present. We find that CO 2 ranged from − + 389 8 38 ppm to − + 331 , 11 13 ppm, with CO 2 during the KM5c interglacial being − + 371 29 32 ppm (at 95% confidence). Our findings corroborate the idea that changes in atmospheric CO 2 levels played a distinct role in climate variability during the mPWP. They also facilitate ongoing datamodel comparisons and suggest that, at present rates of human emissions, there will be more CO 2 in Earth's atmosphere by 2025 than at any time in at least the last 3.3 million years.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric CO2 during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period and the M2 glaciation

Vega

Chalk

Wilson

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

126

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“…The record of sea level change from past warm climates offers a way to test this hypothesis. Recent work has focused on the Pliocene, given that CO 2 concentrations during this time were similar to current anthropogenic levels ( is not necessarily needed to explain it (33,34). However, simulated changes in sea level are highly dependent on each model's treatment of ice sheet stability (35), and paleoclimate investigations of warmer climates, such as the early Pliocene and the Miocene, indicate larger magnitudes of ice loss, thermal expansion, and consequent sea level rise (34,36).…”

Section: Paleoclimate Perspectives On the Stability Of The Cryospherementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent work has focused on the Pliocene, given that CO 2 concentrations during this time were similar to current anthropogenic levels ( is not necessarily needed to explain it (33,34). However, simulated changes in sea level are highly dependent on each model's treatment of ice sheet stability (35), and paleoclimate investigations of warmer climates, such as the early Pliocene and the Miocene, indicate larger magnitudes of ice loss, thermal expansion, and consequent sea level rise (34,36). Moving forward, refining our understanding of threshold behavior in ice sheets, and thus improving projections of future sea level rise, will require a synergistic approach that leverages paleoclimate estimates from multiple warm climates alongside solid Earth, ice sheet, and climate modeling (31).…”

Section: Paleoclimate Perspectives On the Stability Of The Cryospherementioning

confidence: 99%

Past climates inform our future

Tierney

Poulsen

Montañez

et al. 2020

Science

362

164

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As the world warms, there is a profound need to improve projections of climate change. Although the latest Earth system models offer an unprecedented number of features, fundamental uncertainties continue to cloud our view of the future. Past climates provide the only opportunity to observe how the Earth system responds to high carbon dioxide, underlining a fundamental role for paleoclimatology in constraining future climate change. Here, we review the relevancy of paleoclimate information for climate prediction and discuss the prospects for emerging methodologies to further insights gained from past climates. Advances in proxy methods and interpretations pave the way for the use of past climates for model evaluation—a practice that we argue should be widely adopted.

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“…The successional development of sedimentary wedges is conditioned by the interplay between an increased accommodation space (caused by a relative sea‐level rise), volcanic activity, erosional processes and carbonate production. As the dating of the wedges is imprecise, it is difficult to relate relative sea‐level rise to specific changes in eustatic sea‐level during the Pliocene (for the latter see Dumitru et al , 2019). In any case, the described sequence includes those volcano‐sedimentary units related to the first rejuvenated stages of Santa Maria Island (4.1 to 3.5 Ma), during which a new island edifice was built, off‐centred to the east of the old edifice (Ramalho et al , 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neogene marine sediments and biota encapsulated between lava flows on Santa Maria Island (Azores, north‐east Atlantic): An interplay between sedimentary, erosional and volcanic processes

et al. 2020

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Sedimentary rocks are rarely preserved on reefless volcanic oceanic islands because their sediments are mostly exported from coastal areas towards the deep sea and such islands typically undergo subsidence. In contrast, the exceptional geological record of the uplifted Santa Maria Island (Azores) provides a unique opportunity to gain insight on such coastal systems. This study focuses on a locality at Ponta do Cedro (eastern Santa Maria Island), which features a series of marine fossiliferous sediments wedged between steep lava deltas. As demonstrated by local structure, these sediments correspond to clinoforms deposited on the steep submarine slope of an active volcanic island, implying transport from shallow waters to greater depths and subsequent colonization by benthic communities. Rapid volcanic progradation eventually sealed the deposits, allowing for their preservation and providing a 3595

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Constraints on global mean sea level during Pliocene warmth

Cited by 117 publications

References 48 publications

Atmospheric CO2 during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period and the M2 glaciation

Atmospheric CO2 during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period and the M2 glaciation

Past climates inform our future

Neogene marine sediments and biota encapsulated between lava flows on Santa Maria Island (Azores, north‐east Atlantic): An interplay between sedimentary, erosional and volcanic processes

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