LOSCAR Model Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum d13C Onset Output Zeebe, R.E.; Ridgwell, A.; Zachos, J.C. Zeebe, R.E. Ridgwell, A. Zachos, J.C. earth science/paleoclimate/paleoclimatic modeling (delta 13C,dissolved inorganic carbon,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleoclimatic modeling,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate forcing (Global>LATITUDE >LONGITUDE ) Carbon release rates from anthropogenic sources reached a record high of ~10 Pg C yr-1 in 2014. Geologic analogues from past transient climate changes could provide invaluable constraints on the response of the climate system to such perturbations, but only if the associated carbon release rates can be reliably reconstructed. The Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is known at present to have the highest carbon release rates of the past 66 million years, but robust estimates of the initial rate and onset duration are hindered by uncertainties in age models. Here we introduce a new method to extract rates of change from a sedimentary record based on the relative timing of climate and carbon cycle changes, without the need for an age model. We apply this method to stable carbon and oxygen isotope records from the New Jersey shelf using time-series analysis and carbon cycle–climate modelling. We calculate that the initial carbon release during the onset of the PETM occurred over at least 4,000 years. This constrains the maximum sustained PETM carbon release rate to less than 1.1 Pg C yr-1. We conclude that, given currently available records, the present anthropogenic carbon release rate is unprecedented during the past 66 million years. We suggest that such a ‘no-analogue’ state represents a fundamental challenge in constraining future climate projections. Also, future ecosystem disruptions are likely to exceed the relatively limited extinctions observed at the PETM. STUDY NOTES: d13C-DIC surface output for the onset of the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum from LOSCAR model (Long-term Ocean-atmosphere-Sediment CArbon cycle Reservoir Model) Model run is for 10,000 y after Paleocene-Eocene boundary (~56 Ma) with a 3,000 Pg C release stretched over 4,000 years. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Zeebe, R.E. Investigator : Ridgwell, A. Investigator : Zachos, J.C. 2016-09-06 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20485 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/climate_forcing/trace_gases/loscar-petm-d13C.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/climate_forcing/trace_gases/loscar-petm-d13C.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20485 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/climate_forcing/trace_gases/loscar-petm-d13C.txt Zeebe, R.E., A. Ridgwell and J.C. Zachos2016Anthropogenic carbon release rate unprecedented during the past 66 million yearsNature Geoscience9410.1038/NGEO2681 START YEAR: 56000000 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 55990000 cal yr BP -180 -90 180 90