Lithium isotope evidence for enhanced weathering and erosion during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Pogge von Strandmann, Philip A. E.; Jones, Morgan T.; West, A. Joshua; Murphy, Melissa J.; Stokke, Ella W.; Tarbuck, Gary; Wilson, David J.; Pearce, Christopher R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4382-2341; Schmidt, Daniela N.. 2021 Lithium isotope evidence for enhanced weathering and erosion during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Science Advances, 7 (42). 10.1126/sciadv.abh4224

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Abstract/Summary

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~55.9 Ma) was a geologically rapid warming period associated with carbon release, which caused a marked increase in the hydrological cycle. Here, we use lithium (Li) isotopes to assess the global change in weathering regime, a critical carbon drawdown mechanism, across the PETM. We find a negative Li isotope excursion of ~3‰ in both global seawater (marine carbonates) and in local weathering inputs (detrital shales). This is consistent with a very large delivery of clays to the oceans or a shift in the weathering regime toward higher physical erosion rates and sediment fluxes. Our seawater records are best explained by increases in global erosion rates of ~2× to 3× over 100 ka, combined with model-derived weathering increases of 50 to 60% compared to prewarming values. Such increases in weathering and erosion would have supported enhanced carbon burial, as both carbonate and organic carbon, thereby stabilizing climate.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1126/sciadv.abh4224
ISSN:	2375-2548
Date made live:	23 Feb 2023 14:44 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/534075

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