More intermittent mid-latitude precipitation accompanied extreme early Paleogene warmth

Warming is pushing the Earth system toward unfamiliar climate conditions, complicating predictions. Geological archives of past greenhouse climates provide essential tests for models under extreme forcing. We investigate how precipitation responded to extreme warmth during early Paleogene global warming events (66–47.8 million years ago) – a period considered a possible analogue for worst-case future scenarios. Here we compile global paleoclimate data and develop a multi-proxy approach that integrates sedimentary proxies - such as plant fossils, ancient soils and river deposits - providing constraints on global precipitation intermittency (seasonal and inter-annual variability) and intensity (rainfall rate). The data reveal wet or monsoonal polar regions, and aridity punctuated by intense rainfall at mid- and low-latitude continental interiors. This hydroclimate shift occurred 3 million years before and persisted 7 million years after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum – the warmest p..., This dataset was collected by compiling published literature on terrestrial temperature and precipitation during the Early Paleogene (66-47.8 Ma). Mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT), and qualitative precipitation intermittency  and intensity values were used to assign a climate type with a distinct range of MAP and MAT values. Where quantitative information was not available, qualitative proxies were assigned a range of potential MAT and MAP values based on comparison to modern environments. For a more detailed explanation of the methods, please see the published article's supplementary information. 
, , # Data from: More intermittent mid-latitude precipitation accompanied extreme early Paleogene warmth

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.r4xgxd2kg](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.r4xgxd2kg)

This dataset is composed of terrestrial climate proxy records compiled from published literature. The proxy sites are global and span 66-47.8 million years ago with the following variables:

1. Mean annual precipitation (MAP) in millimeters per year
2. Mean annual temperature (MAT) in degrees celsius
3. Qualitative precipitation intermittency, precipitation intensity, and temperature seasonality
4. Precipitation and temperature proxies used
5. Climate type
6. Uncertainty value from 1-5
7. Geochronology method
8. Temperature and precipitation sources
9. DeepMIP model ensemble mean annual precipitation (MAP) in millimeters per year
10. DeepMIP model ensemble mean annual temperature (MAT) in celsius
11. DeepMIP climate type

The proxy locations were assigned a climate type with a distinct range of MAP and M..., , **Changes after 31st January 2024:** Some new data were uploaded to the EECO table, and an additional column \"geochronology\" was added to all of the tabs.

**Changes after 2nd February 2024:** Corrected an incorrect lat/long.

**Changes after 9th April 2024:** The climate classification system was changed to be more similar to the Koppen-Geiger system. The new system is described in the first tab of the data. Furthermore, the reference for the Tornillo Basin in each tab was updated based on a publication that was previously unknown to us.

**Changes after 27th May 2024:** Quantitative uncertainty values were added for MAT and MAP. Additionally, a table was added to give a range of values for qualitative descriptors of MAT and MAP. 

**Changes after 30th September 2024:** Updated the document name to correspond to the most recent manuscript revision. 

**Changes after 22nd April 2025:** The DeepMIP_Combined and ProxyModelComparison spreadsheets were added because the manus...