Geo-biosphere interactions in the early Paleogene: climatic changes and sea-level fluctuations during the Danian/Selandian transition (60 millio n years ago)
Dutch title: Geo-biosfeer interacties in het vroege paleogeen: klimaatsveranderingen en zee-spiegelfluctuaties rond de Daniaan/Selandiaan grens (60 miljoen jaar geleden) Funder identifier: G052705N (Other contract id) Period: January 2005 till December 2008 Status: Completed
Vlaamse overheid; Beleidsdomein Economie, Wetenschap en Innovatie; Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), more, sponsor
During the early Paleogene (40-65 million years ago) greenhouse climate prevailed on earth and there were probably no large ice caps as today. At the same time, it is generally accepted that there were large variations in sea level. These two characteristics of the early Paleogene are difficult to reconcile. In this project it will be investigated what the amplitude was of a sea-level fluctuation 60 million years ago and whether this fluctuation occurred simultaneously at various locations. The study area is in North Africa and the investigations are being carried out by means of a combination of micropaleontologic, sedimentologic and geochemical methods.