Ash deposits link Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 to High Arctic volcanism

Abstract

Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) was a major environmental perturbation that occurred ∼94 million years ago. It is associated with profound changes in global climate and carbon cycling, which are commonly attributed to large-scale carbon release from large igneous province (LIP) volcanism. However, the specific LIP(s) involved and the mechanisms of carbon release remain poorly understood, as indicated by discrepancies between carbon release rates suggested by numerical models and LIP degassing estimates. Our study refines the eruptive history of the High Arctic large igneous province (HALIP) by dating ashfall deposits in marine sediments from the Canadian High Arctic using an integrated stratigraphic approach. Our results show that silicic HALIP volcanism began tens of thousands of years before OAE 2, suggesting a strong causal link. Volcanic activity coincides with a marked shift in carbon isotope values, linked to the degassing of HALIP magmas and/or thermogenic gas release. We propose that the concurrent activity of two LIPs—the HALIP and the Kerguelen Plateau—could account for the high rates of carbon release inferred for OAE 2, providing a hypothesis for its pervasive environmental impact.