Chronostratigraphy and Paleoclimatology of the Lodève Basin, France: Evidence for a pan-tropical aridification event across the Carboniferous–Permian boundary

Abstract

Paleosols preserved within the Carboniferous–Permian succession of the Lodève Basin, Massif Central, France change stratigraphically from Histosols to calcic Vertisols and Calcisols to gypsic Vertisols and ultimately back to calcic Vertisols and Calcisols. New high-precision U–Pb zircon ages (CA-IDTIMS) for tuff beds within the Lodève and adjacent Graissessac basins significantly revise the chronostratigraphy of these and correlated Permian terrestrial basins of eastern Euramerica. Under the newly revised chronostratigraphy presented here these stratigraphic changes in morphology indicate a substantial drying of paleoenvironments across the Carboniferous–Permian boundary with a trend toward progressively more arid and seasonal climates through most of the early Permian. This newly-realized chronology provides a paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic timeline for eastern tropical Pangea that is contemporaneous with similar records in western Pangea and suggests pan-tropical, progressive climate change toward aridity and seasonality occurred from the Late Carboniferous through early Permian. • New chronometric dates significantly revise the ages of the Lodève Basin strata. • Stratigraphy suggests an aridification trend near Carboniferous–Permian boundary. • This paleoclimate change in the basin agrees with trends from other equatorial basins. • The combined observations across Pangea suggest a global climate transition.