Dataset Information

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO₂ variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.

ABSTRACT: The Cretaceous 'greenhouse' period (~145 to ~66 million years ago, Ma) in Earth's history is relatively well documented by multiple paleoproxy records, which indicate that the meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradient increased (non-monotonically) from the Valanginian (~135 Ma) to the Maastrichtian (~68 Ma). Changes in atmospheric CO₂ concentration, solar constant, and paleogeography are the primary drivers of variations in the spatiotemporal distribution of SST. However, the particular contribution of each of these drivers (and their underlying mechanisms) to changes in the SST distribution remains poorly understood. Here we use data from a suite of paleoclimate simulations to compare the relative effects of atmospheric CO₂ variability and paleogeographic changes on mid-latitudinal SST gradient through the Cretaceous. Further, we use a fundamental model of wind-driven ocean gyres to quantify how changes in the Northern Hemisphere paleogeography weaken the circulation in subtropical ocean gyres, leading to an increase in extratropical SSTs.

SUBMITTER: Gianchandani K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10457304 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO<sub>2</sub> variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.

Gianchandani Kaushal K Maor Sagi S Adam Ori O Farnsworth Alexander A Gildor Hezi H Lunt Daniel J DJ Paldor Nathan N

Nature communications 20230825 1

The Cretaceous 'greenhouse' period (~145 to ~66 million years ago, Ma) in Earth's history is relatively well documented by multiple paleoproxy records, which indicate that the meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradient increased (non-monotonically) from the Valanginian (~135 Ma) to the Maastrichtian (~68 Ma). Changes in atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, solar constant, and paleogeography are the primary drivers of variations in the spatiotemporal distribution of SST. However, the ...[more]

PMID: 37626029

Similar Datasets

Project description:Species' geographical distributions are tracking latitudinal and elevational surface temperature gradients under global climate change. To evaluate the opportunities to track these gradients across space, we provide a first baseline assessment of the steepness of these gradients for the world's terrestrial birds. Within the breeding ranges of 9,014 bird species, we characterized the spatial gradients in temperature along latitude and elevation for all and a subset of bird species, respectively. We summarized these temperature gradients globally for threatened and non-threatened species and determined how their steepness varied based on species' geography (range size, shape, and orientation) and projected changes in temperature under climate change. Elevational temperature gradients were steepest for species in Africa, western North and South America, and central Asia and shallowest in Australasia, insular IndoMalaya, and the Neotropical lowlands. Latitudinal temperature gradients were steepest for extratropical species, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Threatened species had shallower elevational gradients whereas latitudinal gradients differed little between threatened and non-threatened species. The strength of elevational gradients was positively correlated with projected changes in temperature. For latitudinal gradients, this relationship only held for extratropical species. The strength of latitudinal gradients was better predicted by species' geography, but primarily for extratropical species. Our findings suggest threatened species are associated with shallower elevational temperature gradients, whereas steep latitudinal gradients are most prevalent outside the tropics where fewer bird species occur year-round. Future modeling and mitigation efforts would benefit from the development of finer grain distributional data to ascertain how these gradients are structured within species' ranges, how and why these gradients vary among species, and the capacity of species to utilize these gradients under climate change.

Dataset Information

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO₂ variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.

Publications

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO<sub>2</sub> variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Dataset Information

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO2 variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.

Publications

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO<sub>2</sub> variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Effects of paleogeographic changes and CO₂ variability on northern mid-latitudinal temperature gradients in the Cretaceous.