MIDDLE PLIOCENE SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES - A GLOBAL RECONSTRUCTION

Identification and analyses of Pliocene marine microfossils from 64 gl obally distributed stratigraphic sequences have been used to produce a middle Pliocene sea surface temperature reconstruction of the Earth. This reconstruction shows little or no change from current conditions in low latitude regions and significant warming of the ocean surface a t mid and higher latitudes of both hemispheres, This pattern of warmin g is consistent with terrestrial records and suggests a combination of enhanced meridional ocean heat transport and enhanced greenhouse effe ct were responsible for the middle Pliocene warmth.