A new paleoenvironmental index for anoxic events—Mo isotopes in black shales from Upper Yangtze marine sediments

Abstract

This paper investigates the high-solution of Mo isotopes and uses trace-element analyses for fresh and representative black shales and siliceous shales collected from the transition between the Late Ordovician and the Early Silurian at the Wangjiawan section in Yichang and the Late Permian Dalong Formation in the Shangsi Section of Sichuan. The applicability of different geochemical parameters used as paleo-oxygenation indices are also compared. The preliminary results show that V/(V+Ni), Uauth (auth U), V/Cr, Ceanom and U/Th have a scattered variation range, but most samples plot within the suboxic-anoxic fields. The suboxic-anoxic environment was dominant during the deposition and formation of the two anoxic facies. These redox indicators show little correspondence to the δ98Mo values. The U/Mo ratio can be used as a potential proxy for the paleo-redox conditions due to the possibility that Mo is enriched relative to U at different redox gradients during early diagenesis. This evidence is more significant for the euxinicity condition and corresponds to positive δ98Mo (>1.5‰) values with low U/Mo ratios. This evidence is likely related to the depositional conditions near the boundary between anoxic and euxinic environments, which are characterised by low bioturbation or water circulation. Other samples reveal a wide scatter of U/Mo ratios and δ98Mo <1.5‰. These results are likely due to punctuated improvements in oxygenation with intense bioturbation or water circulation, which led to the redistribution of trace element.