Abstract:
The Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), also known as Eocene
Thermal Maximum 1 (ETM-1) is a global warming spike that occurs within a long term
warming trend in the early Cenozoic Era (56 million years ago). This spike has been
detected in the paleoclimate record as a sudden global temperature increase of
approximately 5°C an associated increased the amount of 13C-depleted carbon in the
ocean. The Wilson Lake core from New Jersey, USA recorded the PETM event. The
nearby Woodland Beach core drilled in Delaware, does not immediately appear to have
recorded the PETM event. Whether or not the PETM is recorded within the Woodland
Beach core is investigated in this thesis using available micro- and nannofossil
information, planktonic and benthonic foraminifera, and sediment color intensity analysis.
A possible record of the Eocene Layer of Mysterious Origin (ELMO), also known as the
Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM-2) is also investigated. Data from benthonic and
planktonic foraminifera counts and preservation, calcareous nannofossils, and sediment
color intensity collectively indicate that the most likely position of the Paleocene-Eocene
boundary and start of the PETM is at a core depth of 407.8 ft.
