In a multidisciplinary approach including biostratigraphy,
sedimentology, mineralogy and geochemistry, we attempt to reconstruct
climatic evolution and environmental changes in Egypt from the late
Paleocene to the early Eocene, with a special attention to the Late
Paleocene Thermal Maximum (LPTM). In this region, despite the presence
of short hiatuses at the planktic foraminiferal subzone P5a/b boundary,
the LPTM interval is marked by a major turnover in the calcareous
nannofossils coincident with the first appearance of the characteristic
short ranging LPTM species Acarinina sibalyaensis. This faunal turnover
is accompanied by a negative delta(13)C shift, a decrease of calcite and
an increase of detrital quartz and high kaolinite contents. During the
early Paleocene (Zone P3), this region experienced a warm and humid
climate with high rainfall as indicated by the abundance of kaolinite in
marine sediments. Subsequently, in Zones P4 and P5 seasonal climatic
conditions with alternating wet and dry seasons evolved in this region
as indicated by the low kaolinite content and the abundance of smectite.
During the LPTM, southern Egypt was affected by a humid and warm
climatic episode which persisted through the early Eocene (Zone P6). The
presence of condensed phosphates coincident with high organic matter
just above the LPTM is consistent with an upwelling activity at this
time.