全球古新世–始新世极热气候事件(PETM)及其驱动机制
Global Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and Its Driving Mechanisms
DOI: 10.12677/ag.2026.162015, PDF,    科研立项经费支持
作者: 杨 雪, 李冰阳, 陈筱筱, 傅义阳, 黄俊影：长江大学地球科学学院，湖北 武汉
关键词: 古新世–始新世极热事件；环境效应；能源；Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum； Environmental Effects； Energy Resources
摘要: 古新世–始新世极热事件(PETM，约56 Ma)是新生代最典型的极端气候突变事件，涉及到全球平均气温骤升4℃~5℃、大气碳同位素负漂(Δδ13C达−2‰~−3‰)和海洋–陆地生态系统重构等变化。该事件导致全球气候表现出显著的“高纬增温放大”效应，并引发海洋酸化、陆相风化作用增强以及生物群落的重大重组。这些剧烈的环境变化也共同塑造了特定沉积矿产和油气烃源岩的形成条件。然而，现有研究仍面临沉积地层区域性局限、古气候代用指标多解性、年代学方法误差以及地球系统模拟复杂等方法论挑战。目前，关于该事件驱动机制的假说还存在许多争议：(1) 主流的海底甲烷水合物分解假说虽碳同位素证据吻合，但其古甲烷储库规模难以定量约束；(2) 地外天体撞击假说因发现铱异常和微玻璃陨石而被提出，却因缺乏全球撞击坑证据而备受质疑；(3) 其他如构造抬升致有机碳氧化、天文轨道驱动等假说，则从不同时间尺度提供了碳循环扰动的可能路径。深入解析PETM事件中碳循环–气候–生物系统的耦合机制，不仅能为理解地质历史时期极端气候演变提供关键实证，也能为评估现代温室气体排放的潜在环境效应提供至关重要的地质类比参考。
Abstract: The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, approximately 56 Ma) represents the most typical abrupt climate change event of the Cenozoic era, characterized by a global mean temperature increase of 4˚C~5˚C, a negative excursion in atmospheric carbon isotope values (Δδ13C reaching −2‰ to −3‰), and the restructuring of marine-terrestrial ecosystems. This event resulted in a significant “high-latitude amplification of warming” globally, triggering ocean acidification, enhanced continental weathering, and major reorganization of biological communities. These pronounced environmental changes collectively shaped the conditions for the formation of specific sedimentary mineral deposits and hydrocarbon source rocks. However, existing research still faces methodological challenges, including regional limitations of sedimentary strata, multi-proxy interpretation ambiguities in paleoclimate indicators, chronological dating uncertainties, and complexities in Earth system modeling. Current hypotheses regarding the triggering mechanisms of this event remain highly debated: (1) The mainstream hypothesis of submarine methane hydrate dissociation, while consistent with carbon isotope evidence, faces difficulties in quantitatively constraining the size of the paleo-methane reservoir; (2) The extraterrestrial impact hypothesis, proposed based on observed iridium anomalies and microtektites, is heavily questioned due to the lack of global evidence for an impact crater; (3) Other hypotheses, such as tectonic uplift leading to organic carbon oxidation and astronomical orbital forcing, offer potential pathways for carbon cycle perturbations over different timescales. A deeper analysis of the coupling mechanisms between the carbon cycle, climate, and biosphere during the PETM event can not only provide critical empirical evidence for understanding extreme climate evolution in geological history but also serve as a crucial geological analog for assessing the potential environmental effects of modern greenhouse gas emissions.
文章引用：杨雪, 李冰阳, 陈筱筱, 傅义阳, 黄俊影. 全球古新世–始新世极热气候事件(PETM)及其驱动机制[J]. 地球科学前沿, 2026, 16(2): 149-158. https://doi.org/10.12677/ag.2026.162015

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