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Cenozoic Cooling
Dominguez
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London Dominguez
Spring 2016
ERTH – 600
Abstract
Around 50 mya a collision of the Indian and Eurasia plate had occurred
setting off a climatic change in Earth’s carbon cycle. There have been numerous
theories and factors that attributed to Cenozoic cooling such as weathering,
decrease of volcanic emissions, or possibly erosion of mountain ranges that lead to
the deposition of sediment contributing to a climatic feedback loop. Nonetheless, it
has been identified that tectonic plates contribute a great percentage of affecting
global temperature mean.
Today I am here to talk about the correlation of the Tibetan Plateau creating
the Himalayas and Cenozoic cooling. It took millions of years for the affect of the
Indian and Eurasia plate to be involved with a feedback loop of global temperature
changing. In the essay that follows, there will be organization to follow in three
categories; and introduction, discussion, and conclusion.
Introducing the Earth on a timeline scale within the Cenozoic Era, I will then
start to discuss four components within the essay. First to discuss would be the
climate conditions of the Cenozoic prior to the start of glacial and interglacial cycles.
Second to discuss is the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau with evidence of geological
structures. Then third, diving into Cenozoic Global cooling and to conclude with
studies of the Himalaya’s that correlate with Cenozoic cooling.
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I. Introduction
The Earth has experienced many fluctuations of climate changes throughout
its geological history. Using stratigraphic columns and other geological tools to
identify epochs within those periods, scientists have identified some causes of these
global changes. Strictly identifying these fluctuations through the Cenozoic Era, we
date back to 66 million years ago, right before the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.
The purpose of this introduction is to introduce the Cenozoic Era, its periods, epochs
and be familiar with the Cenozoic.
The Cenozoic era dates back to 66 mya to present time. Within those 66 mya,
the Paleogene, Neogene and Quaternary periods existed. Geologists have sectioned
the Periods to include subsections of time into Epochs. The Epoch of focus with this
paper would be specific to the Pliocene within the Neogene Period. The area of
study will be the climate of the Pliocene and the factors that could have started the
global cooling trend to begin the Quaternary Period.
A factor that I will be directing my paper is between the correlation of the
Himalaya and the affect of climate change thereafter, specifically the Cenozoic
cooling. Previously an ice-free climate, the onset of the Tibetan Plateaus and the
uplift of the Himalaya have caused atmospheric temperature to drop and
weathering to increase.
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The structure of this essay will include general conditions of the Cenozoic
followed by discussion of the Tibet and its geological structures. Afterwards the
discussion will direct towards Cenozoic global cooling followed by studies of the
Himalayas showing geological and chemical evidence. To conclude this paper, we
will be knowledgeable of the correlation of Cenozoic cooling and the Himalayas.
II. Discussion
1. Conditions of the Cenozoic
Using both a mixture of my knowledge and research to support the evidence,
I will begin discussing the climate conditions of the Cenozoic Era. The Cenozoic Era
is broken into two main periods; Tertiary dated 65mya to 2mya, and Quaternary
dating 2mya to present. The Tertiary period is known for its extreme climate of
warmth with an emphasis to the warmest period of increased CO2 during the Early
Eocene (1). During the Eocene we see a peak of warmth from that increase and then
a dramatic cooling in the Oligocene Epoch dated 40 to 25mya (1). The Oligocene is
said to have changes in planktonic and benthonic d18 O that suggest that there was
rapid ice formation, which correlates with Antarctic glaciation (2) followed with a
cooling trend.
In the Quaternary period, the cooling trend continues with cycles of glacial
and interglacial cycles suggesting dramatic CO2 changes have occurred throughout
those million of years. There are speculations as to what has contributed to the
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changes in atmospheric temperatures such as the effects of ocean gateways, CO2
changes, and possibly the increase in high latitude landmasses causing feedback
loops for cooling (1). Raymo suggests “Accompanying the global escalation in
orogenic uplift was an increase in the rate of weathering of silicate rocks which CO2
is removed from the atmosphere” (3). With supporting Raymo’s evidence, the next
section for discussion will be the tectonic uplift of the Tibet and its continuous
geological structure.
2. Uplift of the Tibet, Geological Structures
Geologically based in China, the Tibetan Plateau has an area of 956,000
square miles and an altitude of 4,500 meters that occupies the highest mountains in
the world, the largest canyons and different ecosystems (5). Creating and occupying
the world’s largest source of water and ice, the Tibetan Plateau has also created the
Himalayas to the southwest region (5). The geological structures that have created
the Tibetan Plateau is from two landmasses being subjected, and with uplift rose
these mountains over millions of years (6).
The Tibetan Plateau is known as the “third pole,” because of its huge role in
climate changes through out the history of Earth by storing and maintaining water
flows, specifically basin drainage and running of streams (7). Being the highest
plateau on Earth, it is confirmed through geological record to be created from the
collision of two plates, the Indian and Eurasia roughly 50 mya and speculated to rise
5 mm every year (7). What is interesting is the fact that the collision of plates had
Cenozoic Cooling
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occurred in previous eras and then later the climate changes occurred, slow but
surely causing a global climate change.
3. Cenozoic Global Cooling
Figures include
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Cenozoic Cooling
4. Himalayas, CO2 Concentrations
Facts, Figures, etc.
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Cenozoic Cooling
III. Conclusion
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Cenozoic Cooling
Bibliography
On separate paper for editing.
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