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Selected Works of Joel E. Baker
Article
Tropical sea temperatures in the high-latitude South Pacific during the Eocene
Geology
  • Christopher J. Hollis, GNS Science
  • Like Handley, Univ of Bristol
  • Erica M. Crouch, GNS Science
  • Hugh E. G. Morgans, GNS Science
  • Joel A. Baker, Victoria Univ. of Wellington
  • John Creech, Victoria Univ. of Wellington
  • Katie S. Collins, Victoria Univ. of Wellington
  • Samantha J. Gibbs, Univ. of Southhampton
  • Matthew Huber, Purdue University
  • Stefan Schouten, NIOZ
  • James C Zachos, Univ. of California-Sana Cruz
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Abstract

Sea-surface temperature (SST) estimates of ~30 °C from planktic foraminifera and archaeal membrane lipids in bathyal sediments in the Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, support paleontological evidence for a warm subtropical to tropical climate in the early Eocene high-latitude (55°S) southwest Pacific. Such warm SSTs call into question previous estimates based on oxygen isotopes and present a major challenge to climate modelers. Even under hypergreenhouse conditions (2240 ppm CO2), modeled summer SSTs for the New Zealand region do not exceed 20 °C.

Date of this Version
1-1-2009
DOI
10.1130/​G25200A.
Pages
99-102
Link Out to Full Text
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/content/37/2/99
Citation Information
Christopher J. Hollis, Like Handley, Erica M. Crouch, Hugh E. G. Morgans, et al.. "Tropical sea temperatures in the high-latitude South Pacific during the Eocene" Geology Vol. 37 Iss. 2 (2009)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/joel_baker/37/