Abstract
Samples of red bed sediments in several Mesoproterozoic successions contain enrichments of tellurium (Te), including discrete telluride minerals. The tellurides were neoformed during redox-controlled diagenesis, rather than representing mechanical concentrations of heavy minerals. Tellurium is enriched relative to selenium, which may reflect erosion of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic rocks with high Te contents. High continentality during the Mesoproterozoic would have limited the delivery of Te and other trace elements to the oceans, so accumulated Te on the continents.
Highlights
A key consequence of the oxygenation of the atmosphere after the Great Oxidation Event was the enhanced weathering of the continents
We report direct evidence for the availability of redox-sensitive elements in Mesoproterozoic continental sandstones, which were a reservoir for delivery to the oceans
This study reports analysis of reduction spheroids in several Mesoproterozoic successions, to determine if Se and Te could be detected, and if so whether they occur at high levels of enrichment
Summary
A key consequence of the oxygenation of the atmosphere after the Great Oxidation Event was the enhanced weathering of the continents. The evidence for trace element release is indirect, through a progressive change in the trace element contents of marine anoxic black shales (Anbar and Knoll, 2002; Lyons et al, 2014) and the appearance of extensive gypsum deposits (Kah et al, 2001) that imply weathering of bedrock sulphides to soluble sulphates. Both lines of evidence date the availability of trace elements to the Mesoproterozoic, which matches the timing of expansion of the eukaryotes (Knoll et al, 2006). We report direct evidence for the availability of redox-sensitive elements in Mesoproterozoic continental sandstones, which were a reservoir for delivery to the oceans
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