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. 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 |
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | 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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