Abrupt change in the upwelling system along the southern margin of the Tethys during the Paleocene-Eocene transition event

Faunal, isotopic, and mineralogic analyses at the Ben-Gurion 500, Southern Israel, section reveal a major change in the tradewind-driven upwelling system along the southern Tethys margin coincident with the Paleocene-Eocene (P-E) global change in climate and oceanography. During the P-E event, upwelling was significantly weakened or eliminated, as suggested by the disappearance of radiolaria, maximum planktic-benthic foraminiferal ratio, maximum calcite content, and the elimination of the planktic δ¹³C difference between the southern margin and deep basins. This reduction in upwelling intensity suggests a weakened atmospheric circulation associated with the reduced meridional thermal gradient during the P-E global change.