Paired δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg records of the Ordovician on the Yangtze platform, South China

Abstract

During the Ordovician, huge biological revolutions and environmental changes happened in Earth’s history, including the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, global cooling and so on, but the cause of these events remains controversial. Herein, we conducted a paired carbon isotopic analysis of carbonate (δ13Ccarb) and organic matter (δ13Corg) through the Ordovician in the Qiliao section on the Yangtze platform of South China. Our results showed that the δ13Ccarb trend of the Qiliao section can be correlated with local and global curves. The δ13Corg trend seems is less clear than the δ13Ccarb trend for stratigraphic correlations, but some δ13Corg positive excursions in the Middle and Upper Ordovician may be used for correlation studies. These carbon isotopic records may have global significance rather than local significance, revealing several fluctuations to the global carbon cycle during the Ordovician. Several known δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg negative and positive excursions have been recognised in this study, including the early Floian Negative Inorganic Carbon (δ13Ccarb) Excursion (EFNICE), as well as the early Floian Positive Organic Carbon (δ13Ccarb) Excursion, the mid-Darriwilian Inorganic Carbon (δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg) Excursion (MDICE), and the early Katian Guttenberg Inorganic Carbon (δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg) Excursion (GICE). These positive excursions and a smooth decline trend of δ13Corg values during the early to mid-Floian may imply multiple episodes of enhanced organic carbon burial that began at the early Floian stage, probably resulting in further decline in atmospheric pCO2 and then global cooling.