Assessing the Duration of the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum
Victor A. Piedrahita, David Heslop, Andrew P. Roberts, Eelco J. Rohling, Simone Galeotti, Fabio Florindo, Jinhua Li
Abstract
Abstract The Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a climate/carbon cycle perturbation recognized in stable carbon isotope (δ 13 C) records with a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). The PETM CIE termination has been associated with a δ 13 C inflection with pre‐PETM‐like values referred to as the G point. However, the G point approach has produced variable PETM CIE duration estimates (∼120–230 kyr), which reflects a need to test its reliability. Here, we apply statistical analyses to existing δ 13 C records and reveal that the G point is sensitive to underlying δ 13 C uncertainties. We generate a probabilistic‐based CIE detection limit, which constrains the time range over which the PETM is detected in δ 13 C records. This protocol reveals a protracted CIE recovery (>145 kyr) that accounts for a 268.8 +21.2 / −20.5 kyr PETM CIE duration. Our new duration estimate exceeds previous values, which confirms the potential of extreme carbon cycle perturbations to cause long‐lasting carbon cycle disruptions.