Oligo-Miocene carbonates as paleoarchives of climate, sea-level and past CO2 as analogues for future trends

The Oligocene–Miocene interval marks a critical transition from a greenhouse to an icehouse world, culminating in the permanent establishment of large Antarctic ice sheets. This climatic shift had profound impacts on biotic evolution, sedimentation patterns, and ocean–atmosphere circulation systems. Notably, it includes the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO)—a warm and dynamic paleoclimatic phase.

Our research focuses on a range of outcrops across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, complemented by subsurface data from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. By integrating field observations, meta-data analysis, and forward modeling, we investigate the complex interactions between the biosphere (e.g., biogenic shifts), climate, and the sedimentary record.