Potential encoding of coupling between Milankovitch forcing and Earth's interior processes in the Phanerozoic eustatic sea-level record

Abstract

The driving mechanisms of Earth's climate system at a multi-Myr timescale have received considerable attention since the 1980's as they are deemed to control largeamplitude climatic variations that result in severe biogeochemical disruptions, major sea-level variations, and the evolution of Earth's land-and seascapes through geological time. The commonly accepted mechanism for these changes derives from the evolution of Earth's coupled plate-mantle system. Connection between Earth's interior and external climate drivers, e.g., Milankovitch insolation forcing, has not been investigated at multi-Myr timescale, because tectonics and astronomical influences at these longer timescales have long been thought as independent pacemakers in the evolution of the Earth system.Here we have analyzed time-series from multiple geological datasets and found common periodicities of 10 and 35 Myr. Additionally, we have highlighted the modulation in amplitude of the 10 Myr cycle band by the 35 Myr cyclicity in sedimentary sea-level data. We then demonstrate the same physical amplitude modulation relationship between these two cyclicities in astronomical (Milankovitch) variations, and establish correlation between Milankovitch and sea-level variations at these two frequency bands. The 10 and 35 Myr cycles are prominent in the geological records, suggesting either unresolved fundamental Milankovitch periodicities, or reflecting a sedimentary energy-transfer process from higher to lower Milankovitch frequencies, as argued here via amplitude modulation analysis in both astronomical and sea-level data.Finally, we find a coherent correlation, at the 35 Myr cycle band, between Milankovitch, sea-level and geodynamic (plate subduction rate) variations, hinting at a coupling between Earth's interior and surface processes via Milankovitch paced climate. Thus, our findings point to a coupling between Milankovitch and Earth's internal forcings, at 10 to 10s of Myr. The most likely scenario that could link insolation-driven climate change to Earth's interior processes is Earth's interior feedbacks to astro-climatically driven mass changes on Earth's surface. We suggest that Earth's interior processes may drive largeamplitude sea-level changes, especially during greenhouse periods, by resonating to astroclimatically driven Earth's surface perturbations.

Cyclicity in Earth sciences, quo vadis? Essay on cycle concepts in geological thinking and their historical influence on stratigraphic practices

“…Such "waves" may correspond to the causal mechanism of biological extinctions, comet impacts, orogenic events, oceanic anoxic events, and sea-level changes, which support the division of geological time into intervals for global correlations (e.g. Rampino et al, 2021;Boulila et al, 2021).…”

“…The connection between the Earth's internal and external systems is not adequately investigated because tectonic and astronomical influences are often considered independently. Boulila et al (2021) sug- Fischer, 1981Fischer, , 1982. Climatic oscillations are composed of greenhouse and icehouse states, with minor internal climatic fluctuations.…”

“…The red lines indicate the same events identified byStille (1926) andGrabau (1936). (c) Paleozoic eustatic cycles of approximately 35 Myr (determined by bandpass filtering of data presented byHaq and Schutter, 2008) and potential correlation (blue lines) with equivalent cycles ofGrabau (1936) (modified fromBoulila et al, 2021).…”

Earth as a time crystal: macroscopic nature of a quantum-scale phenomenon from transformative moderation of geomagnetic polarity, topography, and climate by precession resonance due to many-body entrainment

“…This synchronization of quantum type in vibrations of dynamic structures at interplanetary and interstellar scales could arise tidally due to a satellite galaxy or universe. In the first attempt to link the Milankovitch theory to Earth's internal processes at Myr time scales, Boulila et al (2021) erroneously speculated that the most likely phenomenon linking insolation-climate with the Earth's internal processes lies in climatically-resonantly driven mass changes on Earth surface, such as imagined sea level variations due to climate change. In their opinion, the potential link between external and internal processes would thus manifest as interaction and feedback rather than a direct orbital forcing of the solid Earth.…”

A global zircon U‒Th‒Pb geochronology database

“…The period of ~60 Myr presents geological features such as fossil diversity (Rohde and Muller, 2005;Roberts and Mannion, 2019), LIPs (Prokoph et al, 2013), depositional cycles (Meyers and Peters, 340 2011), and geomagnetic reversals (Negi and Tiwari, 1983) corresponding to the vertical motion period of the solar system relative to the galactic disk (Randall and Reece, 2014). The ~30-Myr cycle has been extensively explored and is reflected in many geological features, including biodiversity (Roberts and Mannion, 2019;Raup and Sepkoski Jr, 1984), LIPs (Prokoph et al, 2013), geomagnetic reversals (Melott et al, 2018;Stothers, 1986), subduction zone migration (Müller and Dutkiewicz, 2018), climate change (Boulila, 2019;Boulila et al, 2021), and meteorite impacts (Rampino and Stothers, 1984a, b). 345…”