EARLY AND MIDDLE MIOCENE STABLE ISOTOPES: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEEPWATER CIRCULATION AND CLIMATE

The middle Miocene delta O-18 increase represents a fundamental change in the ocean-atmosphere system which, like late Pleistocene climates, may be related to deepwater circulation patterns. There has been some debate concerning the early to early middle Miocene deepwater circulation patterns. Specifically, recent discussions have focused on the relative roles of Northern Component Water (NCW) production and warm, saline deep water originating in the eastern Tethys. Our time series and time slice reconstructions indicate that NCW and Tethyan outflow water, two relatively warm deepwater masses, were produced from similar to 20 to 16 Ma. NCW was produced again from 12.5 to 10.5 Ma. Another feature of the early and middle Miocene oceans was the presence of a high delta C-13 intermediate water mass in the southern hemisphere, which apparently originated in the Southern Ocean. Miocene climates appear to be related directly to deepwater circulation changes. Deep-waters warmed in the early Miocene by similar to 3 degrees C (similar to 20 to 16 Ma) and cooled by a similar amount during the middle Miocene delta O-18 increase (14.8 to 12.6 Ma), corresponding to the increase(similar to 20 Ma) and subsequent decrease (similar to 16 Ma) in the production of NCW and Tethyan outflow water. Large(>0.6 parts per thousand), relatively rapid (similar to 0.5 m.y.) delta O-18 increases in both benthic and planktonic foraminifera (i.e., the Mi zones of Miller et al. (1991a) and Wright and Miller (1992a)) were superimposed in the long-term deepwater temperature changes; they are interpreted as reflecting continental ice growth events. Seven of these m.y. glacial/interglacial cycles have been recognized in the early to middle Miocene. Two of these glacial/interglacial cycles (Mi3 and Mi4) combined with a 2 degrees to 3 degrees C decrease in deepwater temperatures to produce the middle Miocene delta O-18 shift.