Eocene continental climates and latitudinal temperature gradients

Abstract

Research Article| November 01, 1995 Eocene continental climates and latitudinal temperature gradients David R. Greenwood; David R. Greenwood 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 121, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Scott L. Wing Scott L. Wing 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 121, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information David R. Greenwood 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 121, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 Scott L. Wing 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 121, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1995) 23 (11): 1044–1048. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<1044:ECCALT>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation David R. Greenwood, Scott L. Wing; Eocene continental climates and latitudinal temperature gradients. Geology 1995;; 23 (11): 1044–1048. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<1044:ECCALT>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Global climate during the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic is thought to have been warmer than at present, but there is debate about winter temperatures. Paleontological data indicate mild temperatures even at high latitudes and in mid-latitude continental interiors, whereas computer simulations of continental paleoclimates produce winter temperatures closer to modern levels. Foliar physiognomy and floristic composition of 23 Eocene floras from the interior of North America and Australia indicate cold month means generally >2 °C, even where the mean annual temperature (MAT) was <15 °C. Reconstructed Eocene latitudinal gradients of MAT are curvilinear but are about 0.4 °C per 1° of latitude in continental interiors at mid-latitudes, much less than the 0.8–1.0 °C per 1° of latitude observed in eastern and central North America today, but similar to modern gradients in the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes and on the west coast of North America. Latitudinal temperature gradients reconstructed here are broadly representative of Eocene climates, showing that the discrepancy between proxy data and simulations will not be resolved by regional adjustments to paleogeography or reinterpretation of individual fossil assemblages. Similar discrepancies between proxy data and general circulation model simulations for other time periods suggest that there is a basic flaw with the way climate models simulate heat transport to, or loss from, continental surfaces. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.