The world, Eocene, 50.2 Ma, PALEOMAP Project
The world, Eocene, 50 Ma, Global Paleogeographic Views of Earth History, NAU
The world, Eocene, 40 Ma, Regional Paleogeographic Views of Earth History
North America, Eocene, Ypresian Stage, 50 Ma, Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution of North America, NAU
North America, Eocene, Bartonian Stage, 40 Ma, Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution of North America, NAU
North America, Eocene, 40 Ma, Regional Paleogeographic Views of Earth History, NAU
Southwestern U.S., Eocene, 50 Ma, Geologic History of Western US, NAU (first map)
Eocene, Palæos
Eocene, Wikipedia
The Eocene Epoch, University of California Museum of Paleontology
Geologic Time Table, Seafriends
See general sources above.
Early Eocene, ~ 50 Ma, PALEOMAP project
Late Eocene, ~ 40 Ma, PALEOMAP project
Eocene Flora, Fauna, Wikipedia
Eocene Life category, Wikipedia
The Green River Formation, University of California Museum of Paleontology
Green River Formation, Wikipedia
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Wikipedia
Fur Formation, Wikipedia
London Clay, Wikipedia
Messel Pit, Wikipedia
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Wikipedia
Eocene and Oligocene Fossils, Alan Morton
Primitive Eocene Whales, Louisiana Fossil Page
Terrestrial Life during the Eocene, and Marine Life in the Eocene, Smithsonsian National Museum of Natural History
The Eocene Period, chickjunk.com
At the beginning of the Eocene, a sharp jump in global temperatures called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum occurs. Over a few thousand years world temperatures rise by 6°C. The event causes a huge increase in some animals, especially mammals, but causes the extinction of others such as benthic (ocean bottom) foraminifera species. Sea levels rise.
The first half of the Eocene after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum was a very warm period called the Eocene Climactic Optimum.
Sea levels rise and areas such as Florida, and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America are submerged.
Australia and Antarctica separate, and Australia begins to move northward. As Australia moves north, the Antarctic circumpolar current forms.
An aquatic fern called Azolla blooms and spreads throughout the Arctic Ocean. The ferns sink and become part of the Arctic sediment, withdrawing huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Although the Eocene was generally very warm, the Azolla event, and the formation of the Antarctic current, probably lead to the global cooling trend that followed the Eocene Climactic Optimum (culminating in the Quaternary glaciation).
The Alpine orogeny builds the Alpide belt of mountains along all of southern Eurasia. This mountain building phase includes the following orogenies and continues today:
The continent of India begins to collide with Asia. Folding begins to lift the Himalayas, the Pamir Mountains, the Hindu Kush, and the Tibetan Plateau.
Africa and Arabia move northward and build mountains throughout north Africa, Europe, and central Asia. These include: the Atlas Mountains, the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Dinaric Alps, the Pindus, the Carpathians, the Balkan Mountains, the Taurus Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, the Zagros Mountains, and the Alborz Mountains.
The Laramide orogeny of the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene that uplifted the Rocky Mountains in North America continues then ends during the Eocene. The mountains near Yellowstone National Park such as the Grand Tetons and the Absaroka Range form.
Laurasia begins breaking up and Eurasia moves away from Greenland and North America.
Intermountain lakes in North America form the Green River Formation oil shale with its abundance of fish fossils (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah).
A number of meteor impact events occur during the Eocene:
Montagnais crater (off the Canadian east coast), Goat Paddock crater (Australia), Gusev crater (Russia), Kamensk crater (Russia), Chiyli crater (Kazakhstan), Ragozinka crater (Russia), Shunak crater (Kazakhstan), Logoisk crater (Belarus), Beyenchime-Salaatin crater (Russia), Logancha crater (Russia), Haughton impact crater (Canada), Lake Wanapitei (Canada), Mistastin crater (Canada), Crawford crater (Eocene or older, Australia), Flaxman crater (Eocene or older, Australia), Popigai crater (Russia), Chesapeake Bay impact crater (USA).
The end of the Eocene is marked by the Eocene-Oligocene extinction event (also called the Grande Coupure). Many European species (including all European primates) die out and are replaced by Asian animals. Meteor impacts are one possible cause.
© 2009, Mr. Varner.
