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Abstract Detail


Paleobotanical Section

Quan, Cheng [1], Liu, Yusheng [1], Utescher, Torsten [2].

Climatic gradients, distribution and evolution of the East Asian Eocene.

Based on 66 floral assemblages from 37 sites, we here reported the first large-scaled quantitative results and discuss the the Eocene East Asian climatic patterns. Our results demonstrate that the seasonal climates were rather evenly distributed through the region, with relatively high mean annual temperatures (MATs, >13.7 °C) and mean annual precipitations (MAPs, >755 mm). The overall latitudinal MAT gradient along the eastern coastal was about 0.1 °C/° latitude, more equably than those of the North America (0.4 °C/1° latitude in west coasts and 0.6 °C/1° latitude in the interior and east coasts) and coeval sea surface temperature (SST). The unexpected shallow latitudinal gradients might result from relatively high temperatures in the north China which were probably caused by the intensified paleo-East Asian monsoon in the Eocene. Latitudinally, the temperatures (both MAT and seasonal temperatures) and precipitations were slightly lower in the middle part than those of south and north, probably because of the cooling effect of the high evaporation in the subtropical high region. The precipitations declined from the west to the central regions, as well as decreased northward in the Tibetan Plateau, further corroborating the immense climatic impact of the collision of India with Asian and then consequent retreat of Tethys and the uplift of the plateau. Moreover, our results indicate that the MAT of the tropical area decreased stably with an overall cooling trend through the Eocene, from 18.4 ±2.8 °C, then 17.6 ±6.3 °C, to 16.1 ±0.3 °C, largely in consistent with the pattern of the tropical SST. The winter temperature remarkably declined, particularly during the middle to late Eocene interval, but the summer temperature (WMT) remained almost the same throughout the tropical Eocene.

Broader Impacts:


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1 - East Tennessee State University, Department Of Biology, PO Box 70703, Johnson City, TN, 37614-1710, USA
2 - Bonn University, 4Steinmann Institute, Bonn, 53115, Germany

Keywords:
Eocene climates
plant fossils
quantitative reconstruction
East Asia
latitudinal gradients
paleoclimatic evolution.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPB004
Abstract ID:159


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