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Research Article| February 01, 2012 Evolution of middle to Late Cretaceous oceans—A 55 m.y. record of Earth's temperature and carbon cycle Oliver Friedrich; Oliver Friedrich * 1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California−San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0244, USA *Current address: Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Richard D. Norris; Richard D. Norris 1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California−San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0244, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jochen Erbacher Jochen Erbacher 2Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Oliver Friedrich * 1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California−San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0244, USA Richard D. Norris 1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California−San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0244, USA Jochen Erbacher 2Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover, Germany *Current address: Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 01 Aug 2011 Revision Received: 07 Sep 2011 Accepted: 08 Sep 2011 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2012 Geological Society of America Geology (2012) 40 (2): 107–110. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32701.1 Article history Received: 01 Aug 2011 Revision Received: 07 Sep 2011 Accepted: 08 Sep 2011 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Oliver Friedrich, Richard D. Norris, Jochen Erbacher; Evolution of middle to Late Cretaceous oceans—A 55 m.y. record of Earth's temperature and carbon cycle. Geology 2012;; 40 (2): 107–110. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G32701.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A new 55 m.y. global compilation of benthic foraminifera δ13C and δ18O for the middle to Late Cretaceous shows that there was widespread formation of bottom waters with temperatures >20 °C during the Cretaceous greenhouse world. These bottom waters filled the silled North Atlantic and probably originated as thermocline or intermediate waters in the tropical oceans. Carbon burial during the Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events produced a positive δ13C shift in global carbon reservoirs, but this is not particularly large, especially by comparison with the remarkable Late Paleocene carbon maximum. The interbasin δ13C gradient was unusually large during the Cretaceous hot greenhouse, probably because the North Atlantic sills prevented the free exchange of waters in the deep basin. The hot greenhouse ended when the Equatorial Atlantic Gateway opened sufficiently to flood the deep North Atlantic with relatively cool polar waters formed in the Southern Ocean. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.