Table 1.
A summary of the most significant hyperthermals in the last 300 Myr. Italics indicate a high degree of uncertainty in the quoted value.
| hyperthermal | age (Ma) | approximate onset duration (kyr) | approximate total duration of warmth/δ13C excursion (kyr) | magnitude of marine neg. δ13C (‰) excursion (if present) | low-latitude SST warming (ΔK) | ocean anoxia/ euxinia | approximate pCO2 change (from pre event to peak) in ppm | approximate surface ocean acidification (pH units) | extinction intensity (% marine species) | references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum | 55.9 | 0.1–3 | 170 | 3–4 | 3–4 | Y | 800–2200 | 0.3 | 1–20 | [7–15] |
| OAE 2 | ∼93 | ∼100 | 1322 | — | 1.5–2 | Y | 370–500 | — | 20 | [16–20] |
| OAE 1a | ∼120 | 1–100 | 1145 | 3–4 | 2–4 | Y | 1000–2000 | — | 22 | [16,20–24] |
| early Toarcian OAE | ∼183 | ∼150 | 300 | 5–6 | 2–5 | Y | 350–1200 | — | 15–20 | [16,25–30] |
| End-Triassic | 201.6 | ∼85 | 1200 | ∼1.5 | 3–4 | Y | 1120–2240 | — | 80 | [31–37] |
| terrestrial | Y | 2000–4400 | ||||||||
| Permian–Triassic | 251.9 | 10–20 | >5000 | 5–6 | 10–12 | Y | 1400–4200 | 0.4 | 95 | [37–41] |
| 2800–7000 |
Italics indicate a high degree of uncertainty in the quoted value.