Paul's Palaeo Pages

Dear Colleagues

We would like to draw your attention to the session on "The 'hot-house' Earth System of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic: data and models compared" that Paul Valdes and Paul Markwick are convening at the 2005 EGU Meeting in Vienna. This is session CL17 in the "Climate Sciences Program", but is also co-listed in the "Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Paleontology Program" as well.

Model results of the "hot-house" world, such as that shown for the Maastrichtian (above right), indicate a world of very warm tropics and greatly enhanced hydrological cycle compared with today (above left): Markwick et al., 2002.

The aim of this session is to bring together experts from the various disciplines of Earth System modelling (including, climate, ocean, vegetation and landscape modellers) in order to evaluate our current understanding of the dynamics of the Earth System during so-called "hot-house" time intervals in the geological past (these are intervals typified by a lack of major continental glaciation, and globally warmer surface temperatures). Assumptions of increased thermal 'equability' during such times are no longer supported by the latest coupled ocean-atmosphere modelling experiments, which on the contrary indicate a relatively vigorous circulation, very warm tropics, and greatly enhanced hydrological system. But, the veracity of such results depends on comparisons with observations (especially quantitative analyses). We therefore wish to especially encourage presentations from researchers whose work utilizes the geological record to 'ground-truth' model experiments.

Questions that we hope to address include:
1. Do all coupled ocean-atmosphere models give similar results for 'hot-house' climates?
2. To what extent are these results supported by the observational data?
3. How sensitive are the models to changing boundary conditions for these times: geography (topography and bathymetry), vegetation cover, atmospheric chemistry?
4. What do these results contribute to the debate about future climate change?

If you require further details, please don't hesitate to contact me: pjm@getech.leeds.ac.uk

Further information about this meeting and how to submit an abstract to our session, can be found at: http://www.copernicus.org/EGU/ga/egu05/index.htm

Important Deadlines
Financial Support Application: 7th January 2005
Receipt of Abstracts: 21st January 2005
Pre-registration: 8th April 2005

October, 2004

I'm Moving to GETECH (University of Leeds)

After seven years at Robertson Research (now Fugro Robertson) I'm moving on. From October 4th I will be the Senior Petroleum Geologist in GETECH's new Petroleum Systems Evaluation Group, managed by John Jacques (also formerly of Robertson Research). More information on our products and expertise will be available on the GETECH web site shortly. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact either John or myself to find out more (GETECH tel: +44-113-343-5240).

Kimmeridge Clay Formation, Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, England

I will be continuing to pursue my own independent research in palaeogeography, landscape dynamics, palaeoclimatology, and palaeoecology, elements of which are shown throughout this site. If you have questions on any of this work, or how it relates to oil and gas exploration, then do send me an e-mail at paul@markwick001.freeserve.co.uk.

Maastrichtian Palaeogeography

The Maastrichtian DEM paper written with Paul Valdes (University of Bristol) has now been published (Palaeo-digital elevation models for use as boundary conditions in coupled ocean-atmosphere GCM experiments: a Maastrichtian (late Cretaceous) example. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v.213 (1-2) : 37-63). I don't have any reprints yet, but will send them out (or pdf copies) as soon as they become available. Also, as soon as I have finalised the associated metadata information, I'll make the Maastrichtian ArcGIS shapefiles available. In the meantime do contact me if you need further information on the maps.

Orthographic views of the Maastrichtian palaeogeography

June, 2004

"Olympias"

Trireme "Olympias", 1987

With August almost upon us, it seems timely to wish Greece "Good Luck" with their 2004 Olympics. Since I'm sure (hope) that the Trireme "Olympias" will make an appearance during this world event, it is also apt to remember back to 1987 and the first sea-trials of the Trireme "Olympias". These were based on the island of Poros in the Aegean, and were followed, for a few of us, by several weeks in Athens as "Olympias" was commissioned into the Greek Navy. To be in a Trireme at Salamis, over 2000 years after the defeat of Xerxes's fleet, will always be a poignant memory. It also gives me an excuse to remind all of us involved in modern science of our roots in the natural philosphy of Classical Greece and Aristotle's adage of "healthy body, healthy mind".

I have put more photographs from the 1987 sea-trails on my photos page.

More information on the trireme is available on the Trireme Trust website http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/trireme.

Maastrichtian Palaeogeography

The revised version of the Maastrichtian DEM paper is now back with Elsevier and should hopefully be out shortly. The manuscript with all the other maps is nearing completion. In the meantime do contact me if you need further information on the maps shown in the Palaeogeography section of this site.

January, 2004

Happy New Year

So another year is over. I can't believe how quickly 2003 passed, and not least how many manuscripts remain unfinished on my desktop. Such is life. 2003 was a good year though. If nothing else I am now 30 lbs (13.5 kg) lighter, and a lot fitter than I've been in 10 years. It would be nice if evolution had come up with a better solution to the human knee (the joys of running 15 miles a week), but there we go. Still, being fit again does make skiing and hiking a lot more enjoyable.

Palaeogeography Maps

I've been asked again about the status of the palaeogeographic maps that I've been promising to submit for publication since 1997! Well, the updated Maastrichtian DEM is still in review, and a manuscript using the 1997 Generation 1 maps is almost finished. Still, I admit to getting frustrated that I have so little time to write these up, and so, since many of you have already used the maps, it seems an idea to put the old maps on the web site. These can be found under the Palaeogeography section with the Cenozoic and Mesozoic maps accessible using the appropriate menu options. Potential users of these maps should bear in mind that although they are the consequence of considerable work, they are now old (they were completed in 1997-1998). Please respect my work on this and do cite them (see the FAQ for citation/acknowledgement information). All of these maps and the basemaps behind them are compiled in ArcGIS (ESRI). The full updated versions will be made available as soon as time (and a full-time, non-academic, job) allows.

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This page last modified: 4th January, 2008
ŠPaul Markwick 2000-2008