Rapid acidification of the ocean during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum.

C Zachos, James; Röhl, Ursula; A Schellenberg, Stephen; Sluijs, Appy; A Hodell, David; C Kelly, Daniel; Thomas, Ellen; Nicolo, Micah; Raffi, Isabella; J Lourens, Lucas; McCarren, Heather; Kroon, Dick

doi:10.1126/science.1109004

Public

Rapid acidification of the ocean during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum.

Published in Science (New York, N.Y.) • Jun 10, 2005

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Authors:

James C Zachos

,

Ursula Röhl

,

Stephen A Schellenberg

Abstract

The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) has been attributed to the rapid release of approximately 2000 x 10(9) metric tons of carbon in the form of methane. In theory, oxidation and ocean absorption of this carbon should have lowered deep-sea pH, thereby triggering a rapid (100,000 years). These...

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