Paleogen i neogen – czas dynamicznych zmian klimatycznych

Abstract

Paleogene and Neogene – a time of dynamic changes of climate.A b s t r a c t. The paper discusses the causes of climate change in the latest Cretaceous and the Paleogene (impact event or huge volcanic eruptions?). The climatic evolution (global and – more specifically – in the territory of Poland) during the Paleogene and Neogene in relation to the major climatic events of these periods (PETM, EECO, C4 grassland, Messinian Salinity Crisis) are described and their causes are discussed. Tectonic transformation, volcanic events and earthquakes led to the change in the position of the continents and in the circulation of ocean currents, as well as to increased emission of greenhouse gases – methane and carbon dioxide. These were the main causes of climate changes during the Paleogene and Neogene.