Orbital-scale hydroclimatic variability in terrestrial environments during the middle−late Eocene warmhouse is important to the understanding of climate dynamics of rhythmic cycles. Here, we report two continuous cyclostratigraphic records derived from shallow to deep lake deposits in East Asia to unravel orbital-scale hydroclimatic fluctuations between 43.22 Ma and 37.48 Ma. Our results show that 40 k.y. obliquity cycles paced hydroclimate dominantly during 43.22−41.57 Ma and 40.20−37.48 Ma, with periods of wetter and warmer climate in obliquity maxima. Obliquity may have forced hydroclimatic fluctuations by modulating the intensity of the East Asian Summer Monsoon, possibly through intricate feedback mechanisms involving high-latitude ice sheets within the climate system. Between 41.57 Ma and 40.20 Ma, 405 k.y. and ∼100 k.y. eccentricity cycles became prominent. We observed transient warming events at the conjunctions of long and short eccentricity maxima. These findings suggest that the switch in the dominant orbital parameter may have disturbed the global carbon cycle, which subsequently led to continental hydroclimatic change. Our study highlights the role of obliquity and eccentricity cycles in influencing climate dynamics and underscores the importance of considering changes in dominant cycles when investigating continental hydroclimatic change.
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Research Article|
January 09, 2025
Early Publication
Change in dominant orbital cycles led to warm excursions during the middle−late Eocene cooling
Yiquan Ma;
Yiquan Ma
1
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China2
Key Laboratory of Deep-Time Geography and Environment Reconstruction and Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
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Majie Fan;
Majie Fan
3
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
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Yangbo Lu;
Yangbo Lu
4
College of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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Chen Zhang;
Chen Zhang
1
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China2
Key Laboratory of Deep-Time Geography and Environment Reconstruction and Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
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Huimin Liu;
Huimin Liu
5
Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Company, Dongying 257001, China
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Yongchao Lu
Yongchao Lu
4
College of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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Yiquan Ma
1
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China2
Key Laboratory of Deep-Time Geography and Environment Reconstruction and Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Majie Fan
3
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
Yangbo Lu
4
College of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Chen Zhang
1
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China2
Key Laboratory of Deep-Time Geography and Environment Reconstruction and Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Huimin Liu
5
Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Company, Dongying 257001, China
Yongchao Lu
4
College of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Publisher: Geological Society of America
Received:
10 May 2024
Revision Received:
11 Nov 2024
Accepted:
10 Dec 2024
First Online:
09 Jan 2025
Online ISSN: 1943-2674
Print ISSN: 0016-7606
© 2025 Geological Society of America
GSA Bulletin (2025)
Article history
Received:
10 May 2024
Revision Received:
11 Nov 2024
Accepted:
10 Dec 2024
First Online:
09 Jan 2025
Citation
Yiquan Ma, Majie Fan, Yangbo Lu, Chen Zhang, Huimin Liu, Yongchao Lu; Change in dominant orbital cycles led to warm excursions during the middle−late Eocene cooling. GSA Bulletin 2025; doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B37775.1
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