Constraints on the numerical age of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary

Charles, Adam J.; Condon, Daniel J.; Harding, Ian C.; Pälike, Heiko; Marshall, John E.A.; Cui, Ying; Kump, Lee; Croudance, Ian W.. 2011 Constraints on the numerical age of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 12, Q0AA17. 19, pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GC003426

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Abstract/Summary

Here we present combined radio-isotopic dating (U-Pb zircon) and cyclostratigraphic analysis of the carbon isotope excursion at the Paleocene/Eocene (P/E) boundary in Spitsbergen, to determine the numerical age of the boundary. Incorporating the total uncertainty from both radio-isotopic and cyclostratigraphic datasets gives an age ranging from 55.728-55.964 Ma, within error of a recently proposed astronomical age of ~55.93 Ma. Combined with the assumption that the Paleocene Epoch spans twenty-five 405 kyr cycles, our new age for the boundary suggests an age of ~66 Ma for the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary. Furthermore, our P/E boundary age is consistent with the hypothesis that the onset of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) at the boundary occurred on the falling limb of a 405 kyr cycle, suggesting the event was initiated by a different mechanism to that which triggered the other early Eocene hyperthermals.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GC003426
Programmes:	BGS Programmes 2010 > NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory
ISSN:	1525-2027
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	08 Jun 2011 13:28 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/13795

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