Changes in Carbonate Sedimentation and the Ocean's Calcium Inventory During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorZeebe, Richard
dc.contributor.authorKomar, Nemanja
dc.contributor.departmentOceanography
dc.contributor.departmentGlobal Environmental Science
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-29T21:02:06Z
dc.date.available2025-10-29T21:02:06Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.courseOCN 499 - Undergraduate Thesis
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/112582
dc.publisher.placeHonolulu
dc.titleChanges in Carbonate Sedimentation and the Ocean's Calcium Inventory During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
dc.typeThesis
dcterms.abstractA simple model of the total carbon inventory, alkalinity and calcium concentrations of the ocean during the PETM (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum; ~55Ma ago) was developed. The main purpose of the research was to determine the magnitude of change in calcium ion of the deep sea as result of carbon perturbation and increased weathering fluxes. Additionally, we investigate possible implications that such a change would have on boron/calcium and magnesium/calcium ratios, which are used as a proxy for deep water carbonate saturation state and temperature, respectively. It has been observed in sediment cores that during the PETM recovery stage there was enhanced carbonate deposition on the seafloor as a consequence of ocean oversaturation. During the recovery interval, weight percent CaCO3 values were higher than the pre-PETM values, which represents an “overshoot” before the system moved back to steady state. The model includes a weathering feedback in order to simulate the overshoot in carbonate deposition during the PETM recovery phase. We investigated the calcite compensation depth recovery time and calcite saturation state during the recovery phase as well as global ocean bottom water carbonate ion concentration. It was found that under the most plausible scenario the calcium ion concentration change (∆[Ca2+]) was less than 1.4 % and thus it was concluded that the perturbation that took place during the PETM would not jeopardize the validity of the two above mentioned proxies. The significance of understanding the chemistry and processes that took place in the ocean during the PETM lies in the fact that the amount of CO2 that was released into the atmosphere-ocean system during the PETM may be similar to the amount of carbon that humans could potentially emit to the atmosphere in the next several centuries. Thus, comprehension of the processes that occurred during the PETM is important since it provides the opportunity to better predict the future states of the ocean and impacts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions on ocean chemistry.
dcterms.extent56 pages
dcterms.languageEnglish
dcterms.publisherUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
dcterms.rightsAll UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dcterms.typeText

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Komar.Nemanja.2009.pdf
Size:
90.13 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Global Environmental Science Theses