Latest Cretaceous climatic and environmental change in the South Atlantic region

• Autores: Woelders, Lineke; Vellekoop, Johan; Kroon, D.; Smit, Jan; Casadio, SIlvio Alberto; Pramparo, Mercedes B.; Dinarès Turell, Jaume; Peterse, Francien; Sluijs, Appy; Lenaerts, Jan; Speijer, Robert
• Año de publicación: 2017
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Meteorología y Ciencias Atmosféricas; Maastrichtian; Oxigen Isotopes; Paleoclimate; Paleoenvironment; South Atlantic; Meteorología y Ciencias Atmosféricas
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de Río Negro

Fil: Woelders, Lineke. Katholikie Universiteit Leuven; Bélgica
Fil: Vellekoop, Johan. Katholikie Universiteit Leuven; Bélgica
Fil: Kroon, D. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unido
Fil: Smit, Jan. University of Amsterdam; Países Bajos
Fil: Casadio, Silvio A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina
Fil: Casadio, Silvio A. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina.
Fil: Casadio, Silvio A. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; Argentina
Fil: Pramparo, Mercedes B. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina
Fil: Pramparo, Mercedes B. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza; Argentina
Fil: Pramparo, Mercedes B. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina
Fil: Dinarès Turell, Jaume. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia; Italia
Fil: Peterse, Francien. University of Utrecht; Países Bajos
Fil: Sluijs, Appy. University of Utrecht; Países Bajos
Fil: Lenaerts, Jan. University of Utrecht; Países Bajos
Fil: Speijer, Robert. Katholikie Universiteit Leuven; Bélgica
Latest Maastrichtian climate change caused by Deccan volcanism has been invoked as a cause of mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (~66.0 Ma). Yet late Maastrichtian climate and ecological changes are poorly documented, in particular on the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present upper Maastrichtian-lower Danian climate and biotic records from the Bajada del Jagüel (BJ) shelf site (Neuquén Basin, Argentina), employing the TEX86 paleothermometer, marine palynology (dinoflagellate cysts), and micropaleontology (foraminifera). These records are correlated to the astronomically tuned Ocean Drilling Program Site 1262 (Walvis Ridge). Collectively, we use these records to assess climatic and ecological effects of Deccan volcanism in the Southern Atlantic region. Both the TEX86-based sea surface temperature (SST) record at BJ and the bulk carbonate δ18O-based SST record of Site 1262 show a latest Maastrichtian warming of ~2.5–4°C, at 450 to 150 kyr before the K-Pg boundary, coinciding with the a large Deccan outpouring phase. Benthic foraminiferal and dinocyst assemblage changes indicate that this warming resulted in enhanced runoff and stratification of the water column, likely resulting from more humid climate conditions in the Neuquén Basin. These climate conditions could have been caused by an expanding and strengthening thermal low over the South American continent. Biotic changes in response to late Maastrichtian environmental changes are rather limited, when compared to the major turnovers observed at many K-Pg boundary sites worldwide. This suggests that environmental perturbations during the latest Maastrichtian warming event were less severe than those following the K-Pg boundary impact.