Late Devonian “Kellwasser Event” mass-extinction horizon in Germany: No geochemical evidence for a large-body impact

Abstract

Research Article| September 01, 1986 Late Devonian “Kellwasser Event” mass-extinction horizon in Germany: No geochemical evidence for a large-body impact George R. McGhee, Jr.; George R. McGhee, Jr. 1Department of Geological Sciences, Wright Geological Laboratory, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Charles J. Orth; Charles J. Orth 2Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Leonard R. Quintana; Leonard R. Quintana 2Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar James S. Gilmore; James S. Gilmore 2Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Edward J. Olsen Edward J. Olsen 3Department of Geology, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois 60605 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1986) 14 (9): 776–779. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1986)14<776:LDKEMH>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation George R. McGhee, Charles J. Orth, Leonard R. Quintana, James S. Gilmore, Edward J. Olsen; Late Devonian “Kellwasser Event” mass-extinction horizon in Germany: No geochemical evidence for a large-body impact. Geology 1986;; 14 (9): 776–779. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1986)14<776:LDKEMH>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The hypothesis that the Late Devonian (Frasnian-Famennian) mass extinction was triggered by an asteroidal impact has received renewed attention with the discovery of a Late Devonian Ir anomaly in Australia. In Europe, the mass-extinction event corresponds stratigraphically to the geographically widespread Kellwasser black-shale and bituminous limestone units, and the biological crisis itself has been alternatively designated the “Kellwasser Event.” We report here the results of an extensive geochemical analysis of the Kellwasser stratigraphic interval in a section with exceptional conodont zonal control in the Federal Republic of Germany. No Ir anomaly was found, neither at the biological crisis horizon recognized in Europe nor at the conodont horizon that corresponds to the Ir anomaly zone reported in Australia. No shock-metamorphosed quartz, sanidine spherules, or siderophile-rich magnetic spherules were found, which might have been indicative of a cometary impact. Oxygen-isotope ratios show little variation across the mass-extinction horizon, though carbon-isotope data suggest a sudden increase in phytoplankton activity. We further note that the Australian Ir anomaly (1) is most likely not associated with a large-body impact because no equivalent Ir signature occurs in Europe and (2) is stratigraphically above the European biological crisis horizon, thus postdating the Kellwasser mass-extinction event. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.