Solar system chaos and the Paleocene-Eocene boundary age constrained by geology and astronomy

TL;DR

This study combines geologic data and a new astronomical model to establish an accurate astrochronology up to 58 million years ago, refining the Paleocene-Eocene boundary age and linking the PETM onset to orbital variations.

Contribution

It introduces a new astronomical solution (ZB18a) that aligns with geologic data, providing an improved astrochronology and boundary age, and reveals a chaotic resonance transition in the solar system at around 50 Ma.

Findings

New astrochronology up to 58 Ma established.

Refined Paleocene-Eocene boundary age to 56.01 Ma.

Linked PETM onset to a 405-kyr eccentricity maximum.

Abstract

Astronomical calculations reveal the solar system's dynamical evolution, including its chaoticity, and represent the backbone of cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology. An absolute, fully calibrated astronomical time scale has hitherto been hampered beyond $\sim$50 Ma, because orbital calculations disagree before that age. Here we present geologic data and a new astronomical solution (ZB18a), showing exceptional agreement from $\sim$58 to 53 Ma. We provide a new absolute astrochronology up to 58 Ma and a new Paleocene-Eocene boundary age (56.01 $\pm$ 0.05 Ma). We show that the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) onset occurred near a 405-kyr eccentricity maximum, suggesting an orbital trigger. We also provide an independent PETM duration (170 $\pm$ 30 kyr) from onset to recovery inflection. Our astronomical solution requires a chaotic resonance transition at $\sim$50 Ma in the solar system's fundamental frequencies.