"Greenhouse Climate and Carbon Cycle Dynamics:

Lessons from the Early Cenozoic"

11-12 November 2004

Bremen University

Lecturers:

Dr. Gabriel Bowen, University of Utah (USA)

Dr. Henk Brinkhuis, Utrecht University (Netherlands)

Dr. Gerald Dickens, Rice University (USA)

Dr. Matthew Huber, Purdue University (USA)

Dr. Ted Moore, University of Michigan (USA)

Dr. Hans Renssen, Vrije University Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Dr. Heiko Palike, Southampton University (UK)

Dr. Stefan Schouten, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (Netherlands)

Dr. Thomas Westerhold, Bremen University (Germany)

Dr. James Zachos, University of California, Santa Cruz (USA)

Objectives:

This lecture-based workshop will explore the links between climate variability and the carbon cycle during the early Cenozoic, a period when greenhouse gas levels underwent significant changes on both long and short-time scales. The early part of this period (50-60 Ma) was characterized by ice-free poles, and relatively warm temperatures, whereas the latter part (30-50 Ma) was characterized by cooling and the initial stages of continental ice-sheet expansion on Antarctica. Recent work indicates that the shifts between these climatic state were driven mainly by rapid changes in greenhouse gas levels.

The workshop will begin with a series of lectures that provide an overview of the long-term climatic trends, the orbital scale variability, and the transient events, to be followed by lectures which explore links with the global carbon cycle, and the extent to which changes in greenhouse gas concentrations forced or amplified the changes in climate. Several lectures will address the theoretical aspects of climate sensitivity (i.e., ocean and atmospheric circulation) to changes in greenhouse gas levels.

Program:

Dates: November 11 & 12

Location: RCOM seminar room in the TAB building, Bremen University.

Nov. 11	Topic	Speaker
9:00-9:30	Introduction	T. Bickert/J. Zachos
9:30-11:00	Paleogene Climate Trends: Isotope & Trace Element Proxies	J. Zachos
	BREAK
11:30-12:30	Orbital Scale Variability: Eocene-Oligocene	H. Palike
12:30-2:00	LUNCH- Mensa
2:00-2:45	Toward an astronomical calibration of the Eocene and Paleocene time scale: a synthesis of recent approaches and achievement	T. Westerhold
2:45-3:45	A new organic paleothermometer for Cenozoic oceans	S. Schouten
	BREAK
4:15-5:00	Paleogene tropical Pacific: Clues to circulation, & productivity	T. Moore
Nov. 12
9:00--10:00	Eocene ocean circulation: Bringing models and data together	M. Huber
10:00-10:30	BREAK
10:30-11:00	Ocean-atmosphere interaction: The question of heat transport in greenhouse climates	M. Huber
11:00-12:00	Paleogene Climate Trends: Arctic & Antarctic	H. Brinkhuis
12:00-1:30	LUNCH -Mensa
1:30-2:00	The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM): The Marine Carbon and Climate Signal	J. Zachos
2:00-3:00	New models for the PETM climate and carbon cycle: reconciling a theory with 7 years of new data	G. Bowen
	BREAK
3:30-4:30	The PETM as a worst-case scenario: climatic response to a massive methane release from gas hydrates simulated in a coupled climate model	H. Renssen
4:30-5:30	Methane Capacitor: Present - Past	G. Dickens

Recommended Readings:

Dr. Gabriel Bowen, University of Utah (USA)

Bowen G. J., Beerling D. J., Zachos J. C., Koch P. L. and Quattlebaum T. (in press) A humid climate state during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum. Nature. [PDF]
Bowen G. J. and Beerling D. J. (2004) An integrated model for soil organic carbon and CO₂: Implications for paleosol carbonate pCO2 paleobarometry. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 18, GB1026, doi:10.1029/2003GB002117 [PDF]

Bowen G. J., Clyde W. C., Koch P. L., Ting S., Alroy J., Tsubamoto T., Wang Y. and Wang Y. (2002) Mammalian dispersal at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. Science, 295, 2062-2065.

Dr. Henk Brinkhuis, Utrecht University (Netherlands)

Williams, G.L., Brinkhuis, H., Pearce, M.A., Fensome, R.A., and Weegink, J.W., 2004. Southern Ocean and global dinoflagellate cyst events compared; Index events for the Late Cretaceous-Neogene. In: Exon et al., Scientific Results ODP Leg 189, College Station. [PDF]

Crouch, E.M., Brinkhuis, H., Visscher, H., Adatte, T., and Bolle, M.-P., 2003. Late Paleocene-early Eocene dinoflagellate cyst records from the Tethys: further observations on the global distribution of Apectodinium .In: S.L. Wing, P.R. Gingerich, B. Schmitz and E. Thomas (eds). Causes and Consequences of Globally Warm Climates in the Early Paleocene. Geological Society of America (GSA) Special Paper 369, p. 113-131 .

Crouch, E.M. et al., 2001. Global dinoflagellate event associated with the late Paleocene thermal maximum. Geology, 29(4): 315-318.

.

Dr. Gerald Dickens, Rice University (USA)

Dickens, G.R., T. Fewless, E. Thomas & T.J. Bralower, 2003. Excess barite accumulation during the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum: Massive input of dissolved barium from seafloor gas hydrate reservoirs."  Causes and Consequences of Globally Warm Climates in the Early Paleogene, Geological Society of America Special Publication , 369: 11-23.

Dickens, G.R., 2003. Rethinking the global carbon cycle with a large, dynamic and microbially mediated gas hydrate capacitor. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 213(3-4): 169-183.

Dickens, G.R., Castillo, M.M. and Walker, J.C.G., 1997. A blast of gas in the latest Paleocene: Simulating first-order effects of massive dissociation of oceanic methane hydrate. Geology, 25(3): 259-262

Dr. Matt Huber, Purdue University (USA)

Huber, M. and Sloan, L.C., 1999. Warm climate transitions: A general circulation modeling study of the Late Paleocene thermal maximum (similar to 56 Ma). Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 104(D14): 16633-16655.

Huber, M. and Sloan, L.C., 2000. Climatic responses to tropical sea surface temperature changes on a "greenhouse" Earth. Paleoceanography, 15(4): 443-450.

Huber, M., and R. Caballero, 2003, Eocene El Ni–o: Evidence for robust tropical dynamics in the "hothouse". Science, v. 299, p. 877-881.

Huber, M., L. C. Sloan, and C. Shellito, 2003, Early Paleogene oceans and climate: A fully coupled modelling approach using NCARÕs CSM, in Wing, S. L., Gingerich, P.D., Schmitz, B., and Thomas, E., eds., Causes and consequences of globally warm climates in the Early Paleogene. Geological Society of America Special Paper, v. 369, p. 25-47

.

Dr. Ted Moore, University of Michigan (USA)

Moore Jr. T. C., J. Backman, I. Raffi, C. Nigrini,1 A. Sanfilippo, H. Pa¬like, and M. Lyle, 2004, Paleogene tropical Pacific: Clues to circulation, productivity, and plate motion, Paleoceanography, v. 19, PA3013

Moore, Jr. T. C., J. C. G. Walker, and D. K. Rea, C. F. M. Lewis, L. C. K.Shane, and A. J. Smith, 2000. The Younger Dryas interval and outflow from the Laurentide ice sheet. Paleoceanography 15(1): 1-18.

Moore, T.C., Rea, D.K., Lyle, M. and Liberty, L.M., 2002. Equatorial ocean circulation in an extremely warm climate. Paleoceanography, 17(1): NIL_51-NIL_56.

Dr. Hans Renssen, Vrije University Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Renssen , H. , Beets, C.J., Fichefet , T., Goosse , H., and Kroon , D. (2004) Modeling the climate response to a massive methane release from gas hydrates. Paleoceanography 19 , PA2010, doi : 10.1029/2003PA000968

Renssen , H. ,Goosse , H., and Fichefet , T. (2003) On the non-linear response of the ocean thermohaline circulation to global deforestation, Geophysical Research Letters 30 , 1061, doi :10.1029 /2002GL016155. ( Abstract )

Renssen , H., Brovkin , V., Fichefet , T., and Goosse , H. (2003) Holocene climate instability during the termination of the African Humid Period, Geophysical Research Letters 30 , 1184, doi : 10.1029/2002GL016636. ( Abstract )

Dr. Heiko Palike, Southampton University (UK)

Wade, B.S., PŠlike, H., in press. Oligocene climate dynamics, Paleoceanography .

PŠlike, H., Laskar, J., Shackleton, N.J., 2004. Geologic constraints on the chaotic diffusion of the solar system, Geology 32(11): 929-932.

Palike, H., Shackleton, N.J. and Rohl, U., 2001. Astronomical forcing in Late Eocene marine sediments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 193(3-4): 589-602.

Dr. Stefan Schouten, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (Netherlands)

Schouten, S., Hopmans, E.C., Schefu§, E., Sinninghe DamstŽ, J.S. (2002) Distributional variations in marine crenarchaeotal membrane lipids: a new tool for reconstructing ancient sea water temperatures Earth. Planet. Sc. Lett. 204, 265-274.

Sinninghe DamstŽ, J.S., Kuypers, M.M.M., Schouten, S., Schulte, S., Rullkštter, J., 2003, The lycopane/C31 n-alkane ratio as a proxy to assess palaeoxicity during sediment deposition Earth. Planet. Sc. Lett. 209, 215-226.

Dr. Thomas Westerhold, Bremen University (Germany)

Ršhl, U. Ogg, J., Geib, T., Wefer, G., 2001: Astronomical calibration of the Danian time scale: In: Norris, R.D., Kroon, D., Klaus, A., eds., Western North Atlantic Palaeogene and Cretaceous Palaeoceanography: Geological Society [London] Special Publication, 183, 163-183.

Ršhl, U., Norris, R. D. Ogg, J. G., 2003: Cyclostratigraphy of upper Paleocene and late Eocene sediments at Blake Nose Site 1051 (western North Atlantic). In: Gingerich, P. Schmitz, B., Thomas, E. & S. Wing (eds): Causes and Consequences of Globally Warm Climates in the Early Paleogene, Geol. Soc. of America (GSA) Spec. Paper Series., 369, 567-588.

Ršhl, U., Bralower, T.J., Norris, R.D. and Wefer, G., 2000. New chronology for the late Paleocene thermal maximum and its environmental implications. Geology, 28(10): 927-930.

Dr. James Zachos, University of California, Santa Cruz (USA)

Zachos, J., Pagani, M., Sloan, L., Thomas, E. and Billups, K., 2001. Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present. Science, 292(5517): 686-693.

Zachos, J.C. et al., 2003. A transient rise in tropical sea surface temperature during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Science, 302(5650): 1551-1554.

Billups, K. and Schrag, D.P., 2003. Application of benthic foraminiferal Mg/Ca ratios to questions of Cenozoic climate change. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 209(1-2): 181-195.

Contact Information:

Gabriel Bowen

Department of Biology

University of Utah

257 South 1400 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Tel: 801-585-0415, E-mail: gbowen@biology.utah.edu

http://ecophys.biology.utah.edu/Labfolks/gbowen

Dr. Henk Brinkhuis, Utrecht University

Department of Palaeocology

Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology

Utrecht University

Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht NL

Tel: +31 30 2537691, E-mail: H.Brinkhuis@bio.uu.nl

http://www.bio.uu.nl/~palaeo/Personeel/Henkb.htm

Dr. Gerald Dickens, Rice University

Department of Earth Science

Rice University

6100 Main Street

MS-126

Houston TX 77005-1892 USA

Tel: 713-348-5130 , Email: jerry@rice.edu

http://cohesion.rice.edu/naturalsciences/earthscience/facultyDetail.cfm?riceid=213

Dr. Matthew Huber

Earth & Atmospheric Sciences

550 Stadium Mall Drive

Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051

Tel: 765.494.3258 , E-mail: huberm@purdue.edu

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~huberm/

Dr. Ted Moore,

Department of Geological Sciences

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1063

Phone: 734-763-0202, E-mail: tedmoore@umich.edu

http://www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/dept/faculty/moore/

Dr. Heiko PŠlike

School of Ocean & Earth Science

University of Southampton

Southampton Oceanography Centre

European Way

Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK

Tel: +44 23 8059 3638, E-mail: heiko@soc.soton.ac.uk

http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/soes/information/staff_directory/index.php?link=heiko.html

Dr. Hans Renssen

Vrije University Amsterdam

Department of Paleoecology & Paleoclimatology

Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences

phone +31 20 4447376

http://www.geo.vu.nl/~renh/

Dr. Stefan Schouten

Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

PO Box 59, 1790 AB  Den Burg

Texel, The Netherlands

Tel: (+31) (0)222-369565, E-mail: schouten@nioz.nl

http://wwwold.nioz.nl/en/deps/mbt/schouten/schouten.html

Dr. Thomas Westerhold

Department of Geosciences

UniversitŠt Bremen

Postfach 33 04 40

Klagenfurter Strasse

28334 Bremen, Germany

E-mail: tho@uni-bremen.de

Dr. James C. Zachos

Earth Sciences Dept.

Univ. of California, Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Tel: 831-459-4644, E-mail: jzachos@es.ucsc.edu

http://www.es.ucsc.edu/~jzachos/