Physils and organic matter-base palaeoenvironmental records of the K/Pg boundary transition from the late Cretaceous-early Palaeogene succession of the Um-Sohryngkew River section of Meghalaya, India

Abstract

A continuous, shallow marine succession of the Um-Sohryngkew River section is distinct as it contains late Maastrichtian-early Danian planktonic foraminiferal zones and the K/Pg boundary, although K/Pg transition events remain inconclusive. Physils divide entire succession in to lower, middle and upper sub-divisions and represent anomalous values of redox-sensitive elements (δCe, La/Yb and Gd/Yb) in biozone CF3. Organic matter when analyzed show TOC and C spikes in biozone CF3. Illite thermometry also revealed sudden increase in the palaeo-temperature (>140°C) for yellowish brown 1–2mm thick organic rich clay layer in biozone CF3. Interestingly, conspicuous increase in the short chain n-alkanes and fatty acids is observed in the biozone CF3, although, long chain n-alkanes (C27–C33) derived from terrestrial plants show low abundance throughout the succession.High amount of combustion derived fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a) anthracene PAH compounds found in the biozone CF3 are analogous to those reported from the K/T boundary sections of Stevns Klint, Gubbio, Woodside Creek and Arroyo el Mimbral. The pyrolitic signatures of these organic macro-molecules reflect global fire, caused distress to biota (during the deposition of biozone CF3 layer) which is coincidental with the well documented Ce anomaly layer, but, preceded by planktonic foraminiferal change in biozone P0 and PGE anomaly bearing layer in the biozone CF2. These organic macro-molecules reflect global fire, induced by the heat supplied by the late Cretaceous Abor and/or Deccan extrusions perhaps linked with the K/T transition events as later initiated prior to the K/Pg boundary, however, the main episode of Deccan volcanic activity occurred ∼300ky earlier or at the K/Pg boundary itself. The deposition of 1–2mm thick, yellowish brown, smooth (with conchoidal fracture) pyrite nodules and micro-spherules bearing organic rich clay layer marked with the decrease in the carbonate content (2.43%) that lies at the contact between the silty mudstone and grey calcareous shale located in the biozone CF3 of this succession coincides with the first appearance of Pseudoguembelina hariaensis representing age of 66.83–65.45Ma is also related to the India’s collision with the Eurasia and Burma andextrusion of Abor volcanic.These events also endorse succeeding events such as anomalous concentration of platinum group of elements and concentration of spherules during biozone CF2, which are other end Cretaceous events before the advent of the K/Pg boundary.