Solar System chaos and the Paleocene–Eocene boundary age constrained by geology and astronomy

DOI10.1126/SCIENCE.AAX0612zbMATH Open1431.85003arXiv1909.00283OpenAlexW3100624638WikidataQ92994061 ScholiaQ92994061MaRDI QIDQ5218601

Lucas J. Lourens, Richard E. Zeebe

Publication date: 4 March 2020

Published in: Science (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Astronomical calculations reveal the solar system's dynamical evolution, including its chaoticity, and represent the backbone of cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology. An absolute, fully calibrated astronomical time scale has hitherto been hampered beyond $sim$50 Ma, because orbital calculations disagree before that age. Here we present geologic data and a new astronomical solution (ZB18a), showing exceptional agreement from $sim$58 to 53 Ma. We provide a new absolute astrochronology up to 58 Ma and a new Paleocene-Eocene boundary age (56.01 $pm$ 0.05 Ma). We show that the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) onset occurred near a 405-kyr eccentricity maximum, suggesting an orbital trigger. We also provide an independent PETM duration (170 $pm$ 30 kyr) from onset to recovery inflection. Our astronomical solution requires a chaotic resonance transition at $sim$50 Ma in the solar system's fundamental frequencies.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.00283

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Galactic and stellar dynamics (85A05)

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