Enhanced phosphorus weathering contributed to Late Miocene cooling.

ABSTRACT: Late Miocene climate evolution provides an opportunity to assess Earth's climate sensitivity to carbon cycle perturbation under warmer-than-modern conditions. Despite its relevance for understanding the climate system, the driving mechanisms underlying profound climate and carbon cycle changes - including the enigmatic Late Miocene cooling from 7 to 5.4 million years ago - remain unclear. Here, we present magnetic and geochemical paleoceanographic proxies from a hydrogenetic ferromanganese crust retrieved in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Our results indicate a striking 50% surge in deep ocean phosphorus concentrations occurred 7 - 4 million years ago, synchronous with enhanced deep ocean oxygen consumption. Employing a global biogeochemical model, we show that increased continental phosp

SUBMITTER: Zhong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11775330 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature