An Atlas Of Cenozoic Climate Zones

Abstract

This atlas illustrates global climatic zones in five major turning points of Cenozoic climate history: the K/T, the Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the Eocene/Oligocene Transition (EOT), the Late Miocene (Messinian), and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The mapswere produced from a combination of climate simulations (FOAM, CCSM, ECHAM, BESTGUESS, GENESIS and others) and climatic zone reconstructions based on lithologic data. Paleogeographic base maps of the time intervals from the PALEOMAP Project were then illustrated with an artist's rendition of the Earth's appearance. The color scheme was based onNASA's Blue Marble images. An overview of the conditions that shaped global climate zones in each time interval accompanies the atlas: plate tectonics, paleogeography, configuration of ocean basins and currents, greenhouse gas concentration, plant life, and other climate forcing mechanisms.