Paleoclimate and Paleoecology of the Selandian-Thanetian Transition Event (STTE) in the Lower Wilcox, Texas Gulf Coast

This dataset supports a study of the Selandian-Thanetian Transition Event (STTE) from two shallow marine cores, Moczygemba VT #11 and Vogelsang Frieda #1, located on the Texas Gulf Coast. The research tests the hypothesis that the STTE was a globally significant period of carbon cycle instability and transient warming, detectable in marginal marine records. Data were generated using a multi-proxy approach that includes palynological counts of pollen, spores, and dinoflagellate cysts (extracted via standard preparation methods), calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy for age control, bulk organic carbon isotope (δ¹³C) measurements from sediment organic matter using isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and geochemical data obtained through X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values and Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) estimates were calculated from elemental concentrations to infer weathering intensity and paleoclimate conditions.
The data reveal significant negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs), elevated CIA values, and notable shifts in vegetation assemblages, corresponding to transient warming phases during the STTE. These results provide new insights into Paleocene carbon cycle dynamics, weathering feedbacks, and ecosystem responses to climate variability. The dataset offers a high-resolution perspective on climatic and environmental changes during the late Paleocene and can be used for regional stratigraphic correlation, comparison with other STTE records globally, and broader studies of hyperthermal events. Researchers interested in carbon cycle perturbations, marginal marine sedimentary archives, and past climate dynamics will find this dataset valuable.