Work

Quantifying the equatorial climate shifts in the Indo-Burma range using late Eocene–early Oligocene leaf fossils

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The late Eocene–early Oligocene geological time span saw significant Antarctic glaciation, which played a crucial role in shaping global climate patterns and influencing regional climates and ocean circulation changes. In this study, we quantitatively reconstructed the climate of a low latitude site using fossil leaf morphological traits recovered from the Laisong Formation (late Eocene–early Oligocene) of the Indo-Burma range. The Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program was used to quantify the climate, suggesting a mean annual temperature of 25.3 ± 2.3 °C and a cold month mean temperature of 19.2 ± 3.5 °C. The length of the growing season extended throughout the year, with a mean annual precipitation of 244.2 ± 64.3 cm, showing clear rainfall seasonality between rainy summers (130 ± 40 cm) and dry winters (21.7 ± 9.8 cm). The study further reveals that high rainfall in the low latitude region resulted from the northward migration of the intertropical convergence zone due to Antarctic glaciation.

Source: Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology

DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.112931

Authors: Harshita Bhatia, Kapesa Lokho, Gaurav Srivastava, O. Chonchibeni Ezung

Institutions: Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research

Language: English

Topic: Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,210