<p>In the "Plankton cooled a greenhouse", which is the article written by Birger Schmitz, it is stated that the subtropical regions became warmer during the PETM(Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum) but the temperature elevation was greater in the polar region. (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/35025173" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.nature.com/articles/35025173</a>)</p>

<p>This is evident from the oxygen isotope(18-Oxygen/16-Oxygen) data which can be obtained from the sediments of higher latitudes and lower latitudes.</p>

<p>However, I want to know <strong>why</strong> the temperature change was greater in higher latitudes than in lower latitudes. This tendency does not seem to be regional, but global so there should be something reasonable to explain this.</p>

<p>If you come through a good schematic explanation or have a good reference to read, I would obviously want to know it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-01T00:12:37.863Z
High latitudes can range from downright balmy all year round, with palm trees, to frozen solid for millennia. On the other hand, except for periods of extreme globe-covering glaciations that the Earth hasn't seen since the Cryogenian, low latitudes remain tropical regardless of what's happening near the poles.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-02T07:50:51.860Z
@David Hammen Actually, what you are describing seems to be just "what happend" in the past. However, I want to know mechanism beyond the phenomena, why the temperature shift was greater in the higher latitudes. Was it special for PETM event, or is it universal trend for our Earth?
Senna
<geology><oceanography><geochemistry><paleoclimate>
Why was the temperature change greater in higher latitudes than in lower latitudes during the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum?
Senna
# Why was the temperature change greater in higher latitudes than in lower latitudes during the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-30)

In the "Plankton cooled a greenhouse", which is the article written by Birger Schmitz, it is stated that the subtropical regions became warmer during the PETM(Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum) but the temperature elevation was greater in the polar region. (<https://www.nature.com/articles/35025173>)

This is evident from the oxygen isotope(18-Oxygen/16-Oxygen) data which can be obtained from the sediments of higher latitudes and lower latitudes.

However, I want to know **why** the temperature change was greater in higher latitudes than in lower latitudes. This tendency does not seem to be regional, but global so there should be something reasonable to explain this.

If you come through a good schematic explanation or have a good reference to read, I would obviously want to know it.

**Tags:** geology, oceanography, geochemistry, paleoclimate

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: High latitudes can range from downright balmy all year round, with palm trees, to frozen solid for millennia. On the other hand, except for periods of extreme globe-covering glaciations that the Earth hasn't seen since the Cryogenian, low latitudes remain tropical regardless of what's happening near the poles.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Actually, what you are describing seems to be just "what happend" in the past. However, I want to know mechanism beyond the phenomena, why the temperature shift was greater in the higher latitudes. Was it special for PETM event, or is it universal trend for our Earth?  

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## 0 answers

