Fossils tell of mild winters in an ancient hothouse

Journal Article · Fri Aug 06 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.261.5122.682· OSTI ID:5351806

Kerr, R A

Fossil evidence from the Eocene points to a warmer winter climate in the continental interior (e.g. North Dakota) than that predicted by computer models. Paleobotanists have been able to quantify approximate winter mean temperatures by using leaf characteristics. As one example, leaves from colder climates have toothed edges. Leaf structure was correlated with modern climate regimes, and these relations were then applied to Eocene fossils. They found cold-month mean temperatures of 1-8[degrees]C in Wyoming and Montana, well above model predictions. Climate models can be manipulated to reproduce these temperatures, but not without overheating the entire globe. The problem could be that the Eocene atmospheric circulation was different from today, something not accounted for well by climate models.

• OSTI ID: 5351806
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 261:5122; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
CLIMATE MODELS
PREDICTION EQUATIONS
EOCENE EPOCH
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
FOSSILS
SHAPE
LEAVES
CENOZOIC ERA
EQUATIONS
GEOLOGIC AGES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PALEONTOLOGY
TERTIARY PERIOD
540110*
990200 - Mathematics & Computers