Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maxmimum

By: Shannon Skeffington

What Was the World Like?

Point of Time

• The underlying causes of PETM are unknown, but scientists attribute this change with the release of methane hyrdates from sediments in the ocean
• Sea and air temperatures during this Epoch rose by 5 degrees celcius (9 degrees farenheit)
• Ocean temperatures could have been as warm as 23 degrees Celcius around both poles (73 degrees farenheit)

• The Palocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. or PETM for short, lasted around 100,000 years on Earth
• This period of time occurred during the Paleocene and Eocene Epochs
• These Epochs took place during the Cenozoic Era or roughly 65 million years ago

“Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/science/Paleocene-Eocene-Thermal-Maximum. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Fun Facts (featuring James)

• A major event that occured during this time period was the mass extinction of marine life
• This mass exctinction of deep-sea creatures that has occured in the last 93 million years
• This Major event led to diversification of both marine life and life on land

Major Event

• Something unique about this time period is that this Epoch contained no dinosaurs or reptilian animal groups
• The evolution and rapid multiplication of mammals occured in this Epoch
• PETM was fueled by almost 2000 gigatons of carbon in the atmosphere
• This Epoch immediately followed the extinction of dinosaurs

“Ancient Climate Events: Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum.” Ancient Climate Events: Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum | EARTH 103: Earth in the Future, www.e-education.psu.edu/earth103/node/639. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.