Fig. 3: Sensitivity of GMST variability to orbital forcing and atmospheric pCO2 at selected late Paleozoic time slices.
From: Tectonic–astronomical interactions in shaping late Paleozoic climate and organic carbon burial
Box plots show monthly global mean surface temperature (GMST, °C) simulated under different combinations of orbital configurations and atmospheric CO2 concentrations for 260 Ma, 300 Ma, and 340 Ma. At 260 Ma and 340 Ma, simulations were conducted under maximum orbital eccentricity and obliquity (Emax & Omax; eccentricity = 0.066, obliquity = 24.5°) with atmospheric pCO2 fixed at 400 ppm. At 300 Ma, four scenarios were tested: (1) Emax & Omax at 400 ppm CO2 (light blue), (2) Emax & Omax at 800 ppm CO2 (khaki), (3) Emin & Omin at 800 ppm CO2 (khaki; eccentricity = 0, obliquity = 22.5°), and (4) Emin & Omin at 400 ppm CO2 (light blue). Boxes represent the interquartile range (25th–75th percentile), red lines denote the mean GMST, and whiskers span the full range from minimum to maximum monthly values. Annotated arrows indicate the spread of monthly GMST variability under each scenario.
