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Gigantic volcanic eruptions and climatic change in the early Eocene

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Abstract

23 layers of altered volcanic ash (bentonites) originating from the North Atlantic Igneous Province have been recorded in early Eocene deposits of the Austrian Alps, about 1,900 km away from the source area. The Austrian bentonites are distal equivalents of the “main ash-phase” in Denmark and the North Sea basin. We have calculated the total eruption volume of this series as 21,000 km3, which occurred in 600,000 years. The most powerful single eruption of this series took place 54.0 million years ago (Ma) and ejected ca. 1,200 km3 of ash material, which makes it one of the largest basaltic pyroclastic eruptions in geological history. The clustering of eruptions must have significantly affected the incoming solar radiation in the early Eocene by the continuous production of stratospheric dust and aerosol clouds. This hypothesis is corroborated by oxygen isotope values, which indicate a global decrease of sea surface temperatures between 1 and 2°C during this major phase of explosive volcanism.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Andy Saunders and Wolf-Christian Dullo for their helpful reviews of the manuscript. We are also indebted to Lotte Larsen, David Pyle, Hugh Rice, and Lisa Sloan for constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Austria, Neulinggasse 38, 1030, Vienna, Austria

    Hans Egger

  2. Vienna University of Technology, Gusshausstraße 27-29, 1040, Vienna, Austria

    Ewald Brückl

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  1. Hans Egger
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  2. Ewald Brückl
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Correspondence to Hans Egger.

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Egger, H., Brückl, E. Gigantic volcanic eruptions and climatic change in the early Eocene. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 95, 1065–1070 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-006-0085-7

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