No causal link between terrestrial ecosystem change and methane release during the end-Triassic mass extinction

Abstract

Research Article| June 01, 2012 No causal link between terrestrial ecosystem change and methane release during the end-Triassic mass extinction Sofie Lindström; Sofie Lindström * 1GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark *E-mail: sli@geus.dk. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bas van de Schootbrugge; Bas van de Schootbrugge 2Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Karen Dybkjær; Karen Dybkjær 1GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gunver Krarup Pedersen; Gunver Krarup Pedersen 3Department of Geography and Geology, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jens Fiebig; Jens Fiebig 2Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Lars Henrik Nielsen; Lars Henrik Nielsen 1GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sylvain Richoz Sylvain Richoz 4CPSOE, Austrian Academy of Science, c/o University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 26, 8020 Graz, Austria Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Sofie Lindström * 1GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Bas van de Schootbrugge 2Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany Karen Dybkjær 1GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Gunver Krarup Pedersen 3Department of Geography and Geology, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Jens Fiebig 2Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany Lars Henrik Nielsen 1GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Sylvain Richoz 4CPSOE, Austrian Academy of Science, c/o University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 26, 8020 Graz, Austria *E-mail: sli@geus.dk. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 17 Oct 2011 Revision Received: 29 Dec 2011 Accepted: 11 Jan 2012 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2012 Geological Society of America Geology (2012) 40 (6): 531–534. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32928.1 Article history Received: 17 Oct 2011 Revision Received: 29 Dec 2011 Accepted: 11 Jan 2012 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Sofie Lindström, Bas van de Schootbrugge, Karen Dybkjær, Gunver Krarup Pedersen, Jens Fiebig, Lars Henrik Nielsen, Sylvain Richoz; No causal link between terrestrial ecosystem change and methane release during the end-Triassic mass extinction. Geology 2012;; 40 (6): 531–534. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G32928.1 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 Profound changes in both marine and terrestrial biota during the end-Triassic mass extinction event and associated successive carbon cycle perturbations across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (T-J, 201.3 Ma) have primarily been attributed to volcanic emissions from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province and/or injection of methane. Here we present a new extended organic carbon isotope record from a cored T-J boundary succession in the Danish Basin, dated by high-resolution palynostratigraphy and supplemented by a marine faunal record. Correlated with reference C-isotope and biotic records from the UK, it provides new evidence that the major biotic changes, both on land and in the oceans, commenced prior to the most prominent negative C-isotope excursion. If massive methane release was involved, it did not trigger the end-Triassic mass extinction. Instead, this negative C-isotope excursion is contemporaneous with the onset of floral recovery on land, whereas marine ecosystems remained perturbed. The decoupling between ecosystem recovery on land and in the sea is more likely explained by long-term flood basalt volcanism releasing both SO2 and CO2 with short- and long-term effects, respectively. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.