The Turonian (93.5 to 89.3 million years ago) was one of the warmest periods of the Phanerozoic eon, with tropical sea surface temperatures over 35 degrees C. High-amplitude sea-level changes and positive delta (super 18) O excursions in marine limestones suggest that glaciation events may have punctuated this episode of extreme warmth. New delta (super 18) O data from the tropical Atlantic show synchronous shifts approximately 91.2 million years ago for both the surface and deep ocean that are consistent with an approximately 200,000-year period of glaciation, with ice sheets of about half the size of the modern Antarctic ice cap. Even the prevailing supergreenhouse climate was not a barrier 1to the formation of large ice sheets, calling into question the common assumption that the poles were always ice-free during past periods of intense global warming.

West: -54.1200 East: -54.1200 North: 9.1800 South: 9.1800

Expedition: 207

Site: 207-1259

Provider: SEDIS Publication Catalogue

Data set link: http://sedis.iodp.org/pub-catalogue/index.php?id=10.1126/science.1148777 (c.f. for more detailed metadata)

Data download: application/pdf

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