Open AccessEvolving Views on a Dynamic Greenhouse Earth: Climatic and Biotic Events of the Paleogene (CBEP 2009) Conference; Wellington, New Zealand, 12–15 January 2009
Author(s) -
Hollis Chris,
Huber Matthew
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2009eo220005
Subject(s) - paleogene , climate change , paleoclimatology , global warming , greenhouse gas , climate state , physical geography , geography , climatology , earth system science , ecology , environmental science , geology , effects of global warming , paleontology , structural basin , biology
The Paleogene (65–24 million years ago) was a dynamic period in Earth's history in which major mammal groups became established and diversified, rapid and repeated extreme global warming events occurred, and climate began its stuttering progression from a greenhouse to an icehouse climate state. With atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in the range projected to occur over the next several centuries (>1000 parts per million), the Paleogene is also a window into our future (see J. C. Zachos et al., Nature , 451, 279–283, 2008). Long‐standing interest in understanding the causes and consequences of global change in the Paleogene and the current timeliness of greenhouse climate research explain why conferences are periodically devoted to the climatic and biotic events of the Paleogene. The 2009 conference, held in New Zealand, attracted 130 participants from 20 countries. Presentations demonstrated substantial progress in new climate proxy development, new multiproxy approaches, and closer integration of paleoclimate records with climate models, consolidating around three main issues.