THE PAST AS THE KEY TO THE IMMINENT FUTURE: RECONSTRUCTING CLIMATE EVOLUTION FROM THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD

This PhD thesis investigates the impact of early Paleogene warming events, specifically the Pre-Onset Excursion (POE) and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), on carbonate producers in the Tethys region. Using a multi-proxy approach—integrating paleontological, sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses—the study traces how these past warming events effected carbonate production. The PETM is well-studied in deep marine settings, however, the knowledge of shallow marine carbonate factories and their response to the event is limited, particularly in the eastern Tethys (Iran, Pakistan, India). This thesis examines four carbonate successions from both the western and eastern Tethys, including the Maiella section in Italy and three sections in Pakistan's Hazara Basin, Surghar, and Salt ranges. These sites provide valuable insights into carbonate ecosystems' responses to past climate events, offering analogs to predict the long-term effects of current Global Warming on marine ecosystems. The five-chapter structure covers past climate events, significant shifts in skeletal assemblages in response to late Paleocene warming, and local and regional to global correlations are discussed. This research helps addressing gaps in understanding shallow marine responses to hyperthermal events, providing a geological context for assessing future climate impacts on carbonate systems.