MioOcean: database compilation and temperature proxy systematics in the Miocene oceans

Abstract. The Miocene epoch has been highlighted as containing reference intervalsfor near future warmer climates; however, to realize the full potential of this analogue, discrepancies must be addressed, including those between model predictions and proxy data for ocean temperatures. Over recent years, new insights into ocean temperature proxy systematics have come to light, thus providing robust Miocene ocean temperature estimates requires re-evaluation of available data. In tandem, collaboration between stratigraphers and geochemists emphasises the importance of refining and synchronising age models to ensure robust comparisons of temperature patterns across space and time. Here, we compiled published Miocene temperature proxy records from 101 publications and 94 sites into the new MioOcean database, recalculated temperatures using state of the art proxy constraints, and revised and/or verified age models for 38 key sites. The MioOcean database includes upper and bottom ocean temperature records from organic (UK’37 and TEX86) and inorganic (Mg/Ca, δ18O, and Δ47) marine geochemical proxies. To improve confidence in, and comparability between, datasets, we convert proxies into temperature in an internally consistent manner, including updating all associated input variables. To aid usability, the database provides propagated numerical uncertainty estimates encompassing as many sources of error as possible. The MioOcean database improves accessibility of proxy-based Miocene ocean temperature reconstructions to non-specialists, simplifies model-data comparison and validation, and provides the necessary groundwork for in-depth inter-proxy comparison studies. The data compilation (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22258386, Sosdian et al., 2026) is also hosted on www.mioocean.com, including interactive data visualization, enabling interrogation and comparison of re-evaluated MioOcean records.

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Publication Details

Journal
Earth System Science Data Discussions
Published
2026-10-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-699
Primary Topic
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Type
preprint

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preprint

MioOcean: database compilation and temperature proxy systematics in the Miocene oceans

Ann Holbourn, Wolfgang Kuhnt, Yige Zhang, Anya V. Hess et al.
3 links
Earth System Science Data Discussions
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
preprint

MioOcean: database compilation and temperature proxy systematics in the Miocene oceans

Ann Holbourn, Wolfgang Kuhnt, Yige Zhang, Anya V. Hess, Deborah N. Tangunan, Alexandra Auderset, Heather Marie Stoll, Caroline H. Lear, Francesca Sangiorgi, Sindia Sosdian, Elizabeth C Sibert, Diederik Liebrand, Katrina Nilsson-Kerr, Sarah J. Feakins, Karlos Guilherme Diemer Kochhann, Evi Wubben, Erin L. McClymont, Thamizharasan Sakthivel, Thomas Westerhold, Emily J. Judd, Appy Sluijs, Kasia K. Śliwińska, Anna Joy Drury, Wout Krijgsman, Amelia Shevenell, Marcus P. S. Badger, Sevasti Modestou, Bridget Susan Wade, Weimin Si, Alexander J. Clark, K. T. Lawrence, Victoria Taylor, Timothy D. Herbert, Diana Ochoa, Tim E. van Peer, David King, Flavia Boscolo‐Galazzo, Gerald Auer, Jennifer J. Kasbohm, Clara T Bolton, Martin Ziegler, Anya J. Crocker, Xiaoqing Liu, David G. Evans, Paul Minton, Neeraj S. Shah, Kim Marshall-Mills, Marci Robinson, Jared Nirenberg, Nele Meckler
preprint en

Abstract

Abstract. The Miocene epoch has been highlighted as containing reference intervalsfor near future warmer climates; however, to realize the full potential of this analogue, discrepancies must be addressed, including those between model predictions and proxy data for ocean temperatures. Over recent years, new insights into ocean temperature proxy systematics have come to light, thus providing robust Miocene ocean temperature estimates requires re-evaluation of available data. In tandem, collaboration between stratigraphers and geochemists emphasises the importance of refining and synchronising age models to ensure robust comparisons of temperature patterns across space and time. Here, we compiled published Miocene temperature proxy records from 101 publications and 94 sites into the new MioOcean database, recalculated temperatures using state of the art proxy constraints, and revised and/or verified age models for 38 key sites. The MioOcean database includes upper and bottom ocean temperature records from organic (UK’37 and TEX86) and inorganic (Mg/Ca, δ18O, and Δ47) marine geochemical proxies. To improve confidence in, and comparability between, datasets, we convert proxies into temperature in an internally consistent manner, including updating all associated input variables. To aid usability, the database provides propagated numerical uncertainty estimates encompassing as many sources of error as possible. The MioOcean database improves accessibility of proxy-based Miocene ocean temperature reconstructions to non-specialists, simplifies model-data comparison and validation, and provides the necessary groundwork for in-depth inter-proxy comparison studies. The data compilation (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22258386, Sosdian et al., 2026) is also hosted on www.mioocean.com, including interactive data visualization, enabling interrogation and comparison of re-evaluated MioOcean records.

Earth System Science Data Discussions
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (IN), University of Leicester (GB), University of Graz (AT), George Mason University (US), William & Mary (US), University of Bremen (DE), Universidad de Salamanca (ES), Durham University (GB), Utrecht University (NL), Carnegie Institution for Science (US), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), The Open University (GB), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Purdue University West Lafayette (US), Brown University (US), Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (NO), Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (DK), Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (CN), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE), Northumbria University (GB), GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (DE), ETH Zurich (CH), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Centre de Recherche et d’Enseignement de Géosciences de l’Environnement (FR), Nawi Graz (AT), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (DE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), University of Southampton (GB), Earth and Planets Laboratory (US), Earth Sciences New Zealand (NZ), University of Bergen (NO), University College London (GB), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (BR), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US), Syracuse University (US), University of South Florida St. Petersburg (US), Cardiff University (GB)
Past Global Changes
Life below water, Climate action
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
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