Warm Climates in Earth History

Combines new and state-of-the-art paleontological, geological, and theoretical studies to assess intervals of global warmth. The book reviews what is known about the causes and consequences of globally warm climates, demonstrates current directions of research on warm climates, and outlines the central problems that remain unresolved.

Preface Brian T. Huber, Kenneth G. MacLeod, Scott L. Wing; Part I. Approaches to the Study of Paleoclimates: 1. Warm climate forcing mechanisms Paul J. Valdes; 2. Recent advances in paleoclimate modeling: closing the gap on model-data comparisons Robert DeConto, Starley Thompson and Dave Pollard; 3. Comparisons of zonal temperature profiles for past warm time periods Tom Crowley and Jim C. Zachos; Part II. Case Studies: Latest Paleocene-Early Eocene: 4. High resolution global ocean circulation Karen Bice, Lisa Sloan and Eric Barron; 5. Deep-sea environments in the absence of polar ice caps: the case of the early Eocene Ellen Thomas and Jim C. Zachos; 6. Mountains and Eocene climate Richard Norris, Richard Corfield and Karen Hayes-Baker; 7. An early Eocene period? Evidence for continental cooling during the warmest part of the Cenozoic Scott Wing, Paul Koch and H. Bao; Part III. Case Studies: Mesoic: 8. Paleontological and geochemical constraints on changes in the deep ocean during the Cretaceous greenhouse interval Kenneth G. MacLeod, Brian T. Huber and My Le Ducharme; 9. Late Cretaceous climate, vegetation and ocean interactions Robert DeConto, Esther C. Brady, Jon Bergengren, Starley Thompson, David Pollard and William Hay; 10. Jurassic phytogeography and climates: new data and model comparisons Alistair Rees, Alfred M. Ziegler and Paul J. Valdes; Part IV. Case studies: Paleozoic: 11. Permian and Triassic high latitude paleoclimates: evidence from fossil biotas Edith Taylor, Thomas Taylor and N. Ruben Cuneo; 12. Organic carbon burial and faunal dynamics in the Appalachian basin during the Devonian (Givetian-Famennian) greenhouse: an integrated Paleoecological/biogeochemical approach Adam Murphy, Bradley B. Sageman and Charles Ver Straeten; 13. Glaciation in the early Paleozoic 'greenhouse': the roles of paleogeography and atmospheric CO2 Mark Gibbs, Karen Bice, Lee Kump and Eric Barron; Part V. Overview: Climate Across Tectonic Timescales: 14. Carbon dioxide and Phanerozoic climate Tom Crowley; Index.