Onset of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 in the Lower Saxony Basin – Insights fromhigh-resolution stable isotope stratigraphy and geochemical modelling

Abstract

<p>The Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 2 spanning the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (93.5 Ma)<br>represents a major perturbation of the global carbon cycle and is marked by organic-rich<br>sediments deposited under oxygen-depleted conditions. In many studies the eruption of the<br>Caribbean LIP is considered to be the cause for rapidly increasing CO2 concentrations and<br>resulting global warming accompanied by widespread oceanic anoxia. In the Lower Saxony<br>Basin of northern Germany, the deposits of the OAE 2 are exposed in several industry drill<br>cores. In this study, the lower part of the OAE 2 has been studied in the HOLCIM 2011-3 drill<br>core. Sedimentary rocks are composed of limestones, marly limestones, marls and black<br>shales and have been analysed with a high-resolution stable isotope approach<br>(approximately one sample every 2 cm) combined with geochemical modelling. Using stable<br>carbon isotopes, bulk rock parameters and petrographic analysis, the onset of OAE 2 has<br>been investigated in detail. The high-resolution δ<sup>13</sup>C curve exhibits overall stable values<br>around 3 ‰ before the onset of the Plenus event. This background level is interrupted by<br>three short-lived and small but significant negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) down to<br>δ<sup>13</sup>C values of 2.5 ‰, 2.7 ‰ and 1.9 ‰. Immediately before the main rise in the Plenus bed,<br>a longer-lasting negative CIE down to 2.8 ‰ is observed, preceding the large positive CIE of<br>the OAE 2 to values of 5.2 ‰ over 33 ka. Thereafter, the δ<sup>13</sup>C values decrease to 3.5 ‰ over<br>a period of approximately 130 ka. The results can be correlated with the lower-resolution<br>data set of Voigt et al. (2008) but enable a more accurate characterization of the subtle<br>features of the CIE and hence events before and during this time interval. Carbon cycle<br>modelling with the modelling software SIMILE using a model based on Kump & Arthur (1999)<br>reveals that the negative excursion before the Plenus bed can be explained by a massive<br>volcanic pulse releasing of 0.95*10<sup>18</sup> mol CO2 within 14 ka. This amount corresponds to only<br>81 % of the calculated volume of CO<sub>2</sub> release during emplacement of the Caribbean LIP by<br>Joo et al. (2020). In the model the volcanic exhalation increases atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub><br>concentrations. This will increase global temperatures, intensify the hydrological cycle and<br>thus increase nutrient input into the ocean, resulting in an expansion of the oxygen minimum<br>zone, the development of anoxic conditions and an increase in the preservation potential for<br>organic material. In the model enhanced primary productivity and organic matter preservation<br>can be controlled by the implemented riverine phosphate input and the preservation factor for<br>organic matter. For the positive anomaly, the riverine phosphate input must be nearly<br>doubled (from 0.01 μmol/kg PO<sub>4 </sub>to 0.019 μmol/kg) for the period of the increasing δ<sup>13</sup>C<br>values (app. 33 ka), with a concomitant rise of the preservation factor from 1 % to 2 %. This<br>model scenario accurately reproduces the major features of the new high-resolution δ<sup>13</sup>C<br>record over the onset of the OAE 2 CIE.</p>