Isotope Excursion Research Articles

Evidence of a Continuous Continental Permian-Triassic Boundary Section in western Equatorial Pangea, Palo Duro Basin, Northwest Texas, U.S.A.

The Whitehorse Group and Quartermaster Formation are extensive red-bed terrestrial sequences representing the final episode of sedimentation in the Palo Duro Basin in north-central Texas, U.S.A. Regionally, these strata record the culmination of a long-term regression sequence beginning in the middle to late Permian. The Whitehorse Group includes beds of abundant laminated to massive red quartz siltstone to fine sandstone and rare dolomite, laminated to massive gypsum, and claystones, as well as diagenetic gypsum. The Quartermaster Formation exhibits a change from nearly equal amounts of thin planar and lenticular fine sandstone and laminated to massive mudstone in its lower half to overlying strata with coarser-grained, cross-bedded sandstones indicative of meandering channels up to 7 m deep and rare overbank mudstones. Paleosols are absent in the Upper Whitehorse Group and only poorly developed in the Quartermaster Formation. Volcanic ash-fall deposits (tuffs) present in uppermost Whitehorse Group and lower Quartermaster Formation strata permit correlation among five stratigraphic sections distributed over ∼150 km and provide geochronologic age information for these rocks. Both the Whitehorse Group and Quartermaster Formation have traditionally been assigned to the late Permian Ochoan (Changhsingian) stage, and workers assumed that the Permian-Triassic boundary is characterized by a regionally significant unconformity. Chemostratigraphic or biostratigraphic evidence for this age assignment, however, have been lacking to date. Single zircon U-Pb CA-TIMS analyses from at least two distinct volcanic ash fall layers in the lower Quartermaster Formation, which were identified and collected from five different localities across the Palo Duro Basin, yield interpreted depositional ages ranging from 252.19 ± 0.30 to 251.74 ± 0.28 Ma. Single zircon U-Pb CA-TIMS analyses of detrital zircons from sandstones located only a few meters beneath the top of the Quartermaster Formation yield a range of dates from Mesoproterozoic (1418 Ma) to Middle Triassic (244.5 Ma; Anisian), the latter of which is interpreted as a maximum depositional age, which is no older than Anisian, thus indicating the Permian-Triassic boundary to lie somewhere within the lower Quartermaster Formation/upper Whitehorse Group succession. Stable carbon isotope data from 180 samples of early-burial dolomicrite cements preserve a chemostratigraphic signal that is similar among sections, with a large ∼−8‰ negative isotope excursion ∼20 m beneath the Whitehorse Group-Quartermaster Formation boundary. This large negative carbon isotope excursion is interpreted to be the same excursion associated with the end-Permian extinction and this is in concert with the new high precision radioisotopic age data presented and the fact that the excursion lies within a normal polarity stratigraphic magnetozone. Dolomite cement δ13C values remain less negative (between about −5 and −8 permil) into the lower part of the Quartermaster Formation before becoming more positive toward the top of the section. This long interval of negative δ13C values in the Quartermaster Formation is interpreted to represent the earliest Triassic (Induan) inception of biotic and ecosystem “recovery.” Oxygen isotope values of dolomicrite cements show a progressive trend toward more positive values through the boundary interval, suggesting substantially warmer conditions around the end-Permian extinction event and a trend toward cooler conditions after the earliest Triassic. Our observations on these strata show that the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate across the Permian-Triassic boundary in western, sub-equatorial Pangea was characterized by depositional systems that were not conducive to plant preservation.

Oceanic anoxia and extinction in the latest Ordovician

The Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) mass extinction (LOME) was marked by two discrete pulses of high species turnover rates attributed to glacial cooling (LOME-1) and subsequent expansion of anoxic marine conditions (LOME-2). However, the mechanisms and extent of global marine anoxia remain controversial. In this study, we present uranium isotope (δ238U) data from a new Ordovician-Silurian (O-S) boundary carbonate section in the Southwest China to explore the extent/duration of the global marine anoxia, and links to the LOME. This section was found to continuously record the characteristic Hirnantian paired carbon isotope excursion (HICE) and complete benthic faunal turnover across the O-S boundary based on detailed stratigraphic constraint. The poor correlations between δ238Ucarb data, local redox proxy (Ce anomalies), and diagenetic indicators (e.g., Mn and Sr contents, Mn/Sr ratio, δ18O), as well as microscopic petrographic examinations of O-S carbonates suggest that most of the δ238U data are not produced by either local redox conditions or post-depositional diagenetic processes. By coupling our new uranium isotope data with a stochastic U isotope mass balance model, we suggest there were two episodes of widespread marine anoxia over this time interval revealed by systematic changes of δ238U with two negative shifts punctuated by one positive one in between. The former took place in the late Katian, predating the LOME-1 episode and the pronounced climatic cooling; while the latter occurred synchronously with the LOME-2 in the mid-late Hirnantian, separated by a potential oceanic oxygenation event. This presents a more complicated picture of anoxia—as inferred from U isotope records—as a driver of the end-Ordovician mass extinction. The insignificant biotic response to late Katian anoxia is consistent with the idea that the effects of anoxia on marine ecosystem can be highly variable. On the other hand, the presence of anoxia in mid-late Hirnantian strengthen the connection between the oceanic deoxygenation and fauna turnover in LOME-2.

Marine anoxia linked to abrupt global warming during Earth’s penultimate icehouse

Piecing together the history of carbon (C) perturbation events throughout Earth’s history has provided key insights into how the Earth system responds to abrupt warming. Previous studies, however, focused on short-term warming events that were superimposed on longer-term greenhouse climate states. Here, we present an integrated proxy (C and uranium [U] isotopes and paleo CO2) and multicomponent modeling approach to investigate an abrupt C perturbation and global warming event (∼304 Ma) that occurred during a paleo-glacial state. We report pronounced negative C and U isotopic excursions coincident with a doubling of atmospheric CO2 partial pressure and a biodiversity nadir. The isotopic excursions can be linked to an injection of ∼9,000 Gt of organic matter–derived C over ∼300 kyr and to near 20% of areal extent of seafloor anoxia. Earth system modeling indicates that widespread anoxic conditions can be linked to enhanced thermocline stratification and increased nutrient fluxes during this global warming within an icehouse.

Mercury enrichments of the Pyrenean foreland basins sediments support enhanced volcanism during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM)

The Paleogene records the most prominent global climate change of the Cenozoic Era with a shift from a greenhouse to an icehouse world. Several transient hyperthermal events punctuated this long-term evolution. The most pronounced and the best known of these is the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM-56 Ma). This event is associated with global warming, a worldwide perturbation of the carbon cycle, and significant biotic changes. The PETM is primarily recorded by a sharp negative carbon isotope excursion (NCIE) in both carbonates and organic matter of sedimentary successions. The source of the 13C-depleted carbon for the NCIE and whether it was released in one or numerous events is still debated. Several carbon sources have been proposed to explain the PETM-NCIE and the mechanisms that triggered this abrupt climate upheaval. These include, among others, the magmatic and thermogenic release of carbon associated with the emplacement of Large Igneous Provinces (LIP). One proxy for tracking past volcanic emissions in the geological record and testing hypothetical links between volcanism and hyperthermals is the use of mercury (Hg) anomalies found in marine and continental sedimentary successions. Here, we present new high-resolution mercury and stable isotopic records from a continental-marine transect in Pyrenean peripheral basins during the PETM. Compared to deeper marine settings, the significant sedimentation rate that characterizes these high-accommodation and high sediment-supply environments allows the preservation of expanded successions, providing reliable information about the fluctuations of Hg concentration in deposits across the PETM. Our data reveal two large negative carbon excursions across the studied successions. Based on biostratigraphy and the similarity of shape and amplitude of the isotopic excursions with global records, we interpret the largest NCIE as the PETM. This main excursion is preceded by another that we interpret as the Pre-Onset Excursion (POE), found in other profiles worldwide. We find that the POE and the PETM are, in our studied sections, systematically associated with significant Hg anomalies regardless of the depositional environment. These results suggest that large pulses of volcanism, possibly related to the North Atlantic Igneous Province's emplacement, contributed to the onset and possibly also to the long duration of the PETM. Furthermore, the record of higher Hg anomalies in nearshore than offshore settings suggests a massive collapse of terrestrial ecosystems linked to volcanism-driven environmental change triggered significant Hg loading in shallow marine ecosystems. If this is correct, these findings confirm the primary role of the solid Earth in determining past terrestrial climates.

Effects of the Pliensbachian–Toarcian Boundary Event on Carbonate Productivity of a Tethyan Platform and Slope

AbstractWe explore the effects of the Pliensbachian–Toarcian Boundary Event (P–ToBE) on tropical carbonate productivity in the interior to margin and slope of the Venetian Platform (Northern Italy). We document the P–ToBE for the first time in the shallow‐water platform margin, and we bio‐ and chemostratigraphically tie it to transgressive/regressive cycles. Following the latest Pliensbachian sea‐level drop and emersion, transgressive grainstones at the platform edge record the P–ToBE negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) of 1–1.5‰, also found in marl/limestone couplets on the slope. Recovery of platform productivity was ephemeral, as the platform drowned right after the peak negative CIE and was covered by deep‐sea thin‐bedded micritic limestones. The end of the P–ToBE correlates with a regression and renewed recovery of carbonate productivity. The negative CIE of the subsequent Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event is recorded in open‐sea cherty limestones both at the marginal and interior platform. These limestones document an even wider transgression and the renewed partial drowning of the platform in the Serpentinus Zone. We investigate the causes of the carbon perturbation at the P–ToBE, using a simple carbon cycle model. The duration and magnitude of the CIE suggest a rapid release of methane in driving the CIE, perhaps related to the preceding sea‐level drop and associated cryosphere perturbation, or to thermogenic alteration of coals near the Karoo‐Ferrar Large Igneous Province (LIP). The extent of the warming and the magnitude of the P–ToBE CIE implies a contribution of volcanogenic carbon dioxide from the Karoo‐Ferrar LIP.

Integrated stratigraphy (radiolarians, calcareous nannofossils, carbon and strontium isotopes) of the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian transition at Mt. Rettenstein, Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria

A 95 m thick succession of grey siliceous limestone and marl on Mount Rettenstein in the Northern Calcareous Alps allowed us to study well-preserved and diverse radiolarian assemblages across the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian boundary. The distribution of 31 most characteristic radiolarian species is presented. Ammonites of the Jamesoni Subzone, the topmost subzone of the Jamesoni Zone, have been previously found in the upper part of the section. The radiolarian data are complemented with calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy, and carbon and strontium isotope analyses of bulk carbonate samples. A negative stable carbon isotope excursion (CIE) occurs in the middle part of the section and is correlated to the supraregional Sinemurian – Pliensbachian Boundary Event. Radiolarian assemblages below the negative CIE belong to the C anutus rockfishensis – Wrangellium thurstonense and Jacus ? sandspitensis radiolarian zones. Katroma clara and several other species belonging to the subsequent Canutus tipperi – Katroma clara Radiolarian Zone first occur at the beginning of the negative CIE. The first occurrence of the nannofossil Similiscutum cruciulus , which defines the base of the NJ4 Calcareous Nannofossil Zone, was recognized near the top of the negative CIE, 10 m above the inferred stage boundary. The strontium isotope ratio is due to diagenetic alteration of bulk micrite systematically shifted to higher values, but clearly decreases across the stage boundary. This decrease is compatible with the trend of the standard 87 Sr/ 86 Sr curve established in skeletal calcite. This is the first time radiolarian zones across the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian boundary in Europe can be tied to calcareous nannofossil zones and chemostratigraphy and also calibrated to chronostratigraphy. These results contribute to the stability of Lower Jurassic radiolarian zones and will allow the recognition of the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian boundary in deep-marine successions where ammonites are absent. • Dating Sinemurian–Pliensbachian boundary in deep-marine sediments with radiolarians. • Lower Jurassic radiolarian zones calibrated to chemostratigraphy. • Lower Jurassic radiolarian zones calibrated to calcarenous nannofossils. • Sinemurian–Pliensbachian negative CIE recognized in the Northern Calcareous Alps.

Some like it cool: Benthic foraminiferal response to Paleogene warming events

Long-term climatic trends of the Paleogene were interrupted by global perturbations of the carbon cycle, commonly associated with warming of surface and bottom waters and ecosystem disturbance. Most of these perturbations occurred in the Paleocene - Eocene greenhouse climate, but others were superimposed on the transition of greenhouse-to- icehouse conditions during the middle to late Eocene. Here we analyze deep-sea benthic foraminifera to focus on the impact of Paleogene warming events on ocean bottom water ecosystems. We compare changes in assemblage diversity (Fisher-α index) across nine warming events at 16 locations (ocean drilling sites and land sections; 25 case studies) by applying the Epps-Singleton and Fligner-Killeen non-parametric statistical tests. Generally, diversity decreased whereas the coefficient of variation increased during warming events, but not all changes were statistically significant. The declines in diversity may have been due to adaptation to stressed conditions, whereas the higher coefficients of variation may have been caused by unstable environmental conditions. The most severe events, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~56 Ma) and Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2, ~53.7 Ma), had a higher impact on bottom water ecosystems, as shown in major drops in diversity. Regression analysis of data for ODP Sites 1262 and 1263 (SE Atlantic) shows that only up to 62% of the variability of benthic foraminiferal diversity at these sites depends on δ 13 C and δ 18 O values, indicating that changes in diversity were not exclusively determined by the magnitude of the events as defined by the magnitude of changes in carbon isotope excursion and temperature. No major changes in diversity were identified during middle Eocene warming events, and post-event diversity became significantly more stable, suggesting that the overall cooler middle Eocene conditions supported higher faunal diversity and stability of benthic foraminiferal assemblages. • Declined diversity at warming events correlated to magnitude and local factors. • Background climate conditions influenced the impact of warming on marine biota. • Cooler middle Eocene conditions promoted higher diversity of benthic foraminifera.

Molecular fossils and calcareous nannofossils reveal recurrent phytoplanktonic events in the early Toarcian

During the early Toarcian (Early Jurassic, ~183 Ma) global climate and environmental change profoundly impacted biogeochemical cycles and marine ecosystems culminating in the early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE). The T-OAE exhibited a global temperature rise and carbon cycle perturbation that manifested in a stepwise negative Toarcian carbon isotope excursion. While the response of marine invertebrates towards early Toarcian environmental change is well documented, that of marine primary producers is only poorly constrained and is mainly inferred from changes in algae groups producing hard parts, such as calcareous nannoplankton and organic-walled dinoflagellates. Both biotic groups, however, represent only a small part of the marine phytoplankton, the majority of which lack parts with preservation potential in the geosphere. In order to obtain a holistic view on the response of marine primary producers towards the early Toarcian environmental perturbation, we here conducted a high-resolution study based on the combined application of molecular fossils (biomarker) and calcareous nannofossils. Upon the climax of the T-OAE our data indicate that the marine phytoplankton community structure was dominated by eukaryotic algae, which experienced at least five distinct paleoecological events. Each of these was characterized by a demise of red algae groups and shallow- and deep-dwelling calcareous nannoplankton, and a contemporaneous proliferation of opportunistic green algae groups. An increase of poorly developed coccoliths (resembling protococcoliths) during each phytoplankton event attests to periodically harsh environmental conditions in surface waters. Each phytoplankton event was followed by a recovery of pre-event algal communities, indicative of a cyclicity in unstable and fluctuating environmental conditions. During the onset of the T-OAE, phytoplankton events align with negative δ 13 C shifts, suggesting that changes in the global carbon cycle and the climate system impacted on marine primary producers. Phytoplankton events, particularly during the onset of the T-OAE, were accompanied by recurrent freshening of surface waters during warming periods, suggesting these were the most important ecological drivers. Cyclicity in phytoplankton events followed the short eccentricity (100 kyr) orbital frequency, emphasizing the role of orbital forcing in early Toarcian environmental change and ecosystem disturbances. Ecosystem change and extinction were not driven by a single event, but resulted from multiple disturbances that occurred superimposed onto long-term environmental change and culminated in the early Toarcian ecosystem crisis. • Biomarker and calcareous nannofossils reveal recurrent phytoplankton events. • Phytoplankton events record shift from red to green algae communities. • Phytoplankton events forced by high SST, surface water freshening and stratification. • Environmental change and phytoplankton events were paced by orbital cycles.

Extreme continental weathering in the northwestern Tethys during the end-Triassic mass extinction

The end-Triassic mass extinction (ETE) is thought to have been triggered by widespread eruption and emissions of volcanic and contact metamorphic carbon and sulfur gases from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) flood basalts. Although palynological studies of shallow marine deposits in the basins of Denmark and Germany suggest that deforestation and catastrophic soil loss occurred during the CAMP volcanism and ETE interval, the intensity and timing of continental weathering in the region of northwestern Tethys Ocean remain unclear. Here we present Sr, C, and O isotope data, as well as multivariate statistical analyses of major element contents, for carbonate–clastic deposits in the Kardolína section, Slovakia, to develop a continental weathering record in the NW Tethys during the ETE event. This section consists of a shallow marine carbonate sequence in the Rhaetian Fatra Formation and the overlying Hettangian Kopieniec Formation. The Fatra Formation represents ramp facies deposits that formed in a restricted pull-apart basin of the Fatric Zone along the southern margin of the Bohemian Massif in the region of northwestern Tethys. Carbon isotope analysis of the limestones revealed two negative carbon isotope excursions (NCIEs) in the uppermost Fatra Formation. These two NCIEs occurred in the latest Rhaetian and can be compared to the “precursor” and “initial” NCIEs reported for the northwestern Tethys. Strontium isotope analysis of the limestones revealed an abrupt increase in Sr isotope ratios between the precursor and initial NCIEs, which indicates that continental weathering of the Bohemian Massif increased rapidly in the latest Rhaetian. Multivariate analysis of major element contents in the carbonate rocks also shows that intense chemical weathering of the hinterland was accelerated after the precursor NCIE, supporting the inferences drawn from Sr isotopes. Furthermore, our study reveals that the carbonate depositional environments of the Fatra Formation changed to the formation of specific Fe-rich oolites with increased continental weathering after the precursor NCIE. The concentrations of redox-sensitive major elements (e.g., Mn and Fe) and multivariate analysis of the major element data suggest that the Fe-rich oolites were formed by an influx of O-depleted water into the shallow water depositional environment of the Fatra Formation. A possible origin for this O-depleted water is the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) that formed at intermediate water depths in European basins (e.g., the German and Eiberg basins) during the latest Rhaetian. Our results suggest that the marine environment in the European basins may have developed an OMZ due to the increase in continental weathering during the latest Rhaetian, and these environmental changes may have had an important role in the marine ETE event. • Sr, C, and O isotope data of the Rhaetian succession in Slovakia were determined. • Two negative carbon isotope excursions (NCIEs) were detected in latest Rhaetian. • Abrupt increase in Sr isotope ratios recognized between these two NCIEs. • Continental weathering was temporarily enhanced during the end-Triassic extinction. • Intense weathering led to development of oxygen minimum zone in NW Tethys.

Constraining the redox landscape of Mesoproterozoic mat grounds: A possible oxygen oasis in the ‘Boring Billion’ seafloor

The Earth’s middle age or the ‘Boring Billion’ (∼1.8 to ∼ 0.8 Ga, billion years ago) represents one of the most enigmatic intervals in Earth’s history, characterized by the absence of significant carbonate carbon isotope excursions and the sluggish evolution of eukaryotes. It is widely accepted that the atmospheric O2 level was low (<1% PAL or < 10% PAL) and the ocean remained predominantly anoxic with the development of sulfidic (H2S rich) continental margins. It is suggested that 2–10% of seafloor euxinia was sufficient to deplete some micro-nutrients in the ocean inventory, such as Mo and Cu, which are essential for nitrogen-fixation for eukaryotes. However, recent studies report multicellular fossils and episodic/sporadic inception of oceanic oxidation in Mesoproterozoic. These findings imply the possible occurrences of oxygen oasis that provided habitable niches for eukaryote evolution. Such oxygen oasis likely developed at shallow marine seafloor covered with microbial mat, where O2 produced by benthic cyanobacteria resulted in the oxygenation of seafloor. Therefore, in order to constrain the habitability of Mesoproterozoic oxygen oasis, it is essential to reconstruct the O2 fugacity in the seafloor. In this study, we analyzed pyrite sulfur isotopes and pyrite contents of the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation (∼1.4 Ga). The Wumishan Formation is composed of cyclic deposition of, in a shoaling upward sequence, the subtidal calcareous shale, massive thrombolitic dolostone, and microbial laminated dolostone. Both microbial laminated dolostone and thrombolytic dolostone precipitation involved with microbial activities, and thus might record the redox condition of putative oxygen oasis in the Mesoproterozoic oceans. We apply the One-Dimensional Diffusion-Advection-Reaction (1D-DAR) model to simulate diagenetic pyrite formation in sediments. Sedimentation rate can be well constrained by the depositional cycles of the Wumishan Formation. The modelling results indicate that more than 60 ∼ 80% of H2S that was generated in microbial sulfate reduction (MSR) was reoxidized, and that organic matter supply, both from surface water and seafloor, was limited. Thus, our study indicates that the seafloor could be substantially oxygenated in Mesoproterozoic, even when the atmospheric O2 level was extremely low. Shallow marine seafloor covered with microbial mat may function as the oxygen oasis, providing habitable niches for the evolution of eukaryotes.

U-Pb geochronology and cyclostratigraphy of the middle Ediacaran upper Jibalah Group, eastern Arabian Shield

The Ediacaran Period (ca. 635–539 Ma) represents a major transition in Earth history, beginning with the end of the Cryogenian snowball Earth glaciation and ending with the appearance and early diversification of bilaterian animals. Whereas a steady flow of new radioisotopic ages from key stratigraphic successions has resulted in much improved age constraints for the earliest and latter Ediacaran, few ages exist for the middle Ediacaran Period. The Jibalah Group, in the eastern part of the Arabian Shield, comprises minimally deformed volcano-sedimentary successions deposited in discrete basins, previously constrained to date between ca. 620 Ma and 560 Ma. The Antaq basin is one of the largest and best exposed of the Jibalah basins and contains the Muraykhah Formation (upper Jibalah Group), which is of particular interest because it contains putative Ediacaran fossils, textured organic surfaces, multiple tuff horizons, and spectacular 1–10 m-scale siltstone-sandstone cycles. Here we report new high-precision U-Pb zircon ages from the Muraykhah Formation anchoring an astrochronological analysis of these cycles. The radioisotopic ages confirm that two strong peaks identified in the stratigraphic height domain reflect accumulation paced by the long (405 kyr) and short (131–91 kyr) eccentricity cycles, the latter of which corresponds to the m-scale cyclicity that is visually apparent in the stratigraphy. The combination of radioisotopic ages and astrochronology allows us to develop a continuous, tuned record spanning from 599.1 ± 0.4 to 590.4 ± 0.6 Ma. This record complements other astrochronological analyses from slightly younger Ediacaran strata spanning the global Shuram negative carbon isotope excursion. The integrated radioisotopic and astronomical time scale ages also provides new constraints on the Ediacaran tectonic evolution of the eastern Arabian Shield.

INTERREGIONAL CORRELATION OF THE MIDDLE FRASNIAN (UPPER DEVONOIAN) OF THE NORTH-WEST OF THE RUSSIAN PLATE AND THE EAST OF THE PECHORA PLATE: AN ECOGEOCHEMICAL ASPECT

The paper provides an example of the first stratigraphic application of ecogeochemical method based on the analysis of the carbon isotope values in conodont elements. The method is based on hypothesis of almost isochronic regime change (at least within the basin) in isotope fractionation of carbon in pelagic ecosystems which is reflected and kept in carbon isotope composition of conodont elements. This method has been used to compare between different facial Frasnian sequences of the northwestern Russian Plate (coastal marine facies) and eastern Pechora Plate (depression facies). There were traces of three isotope excursions: negative in the vicinity of the MN5 zone basement (domanic horizon basement), negative at the boundary between the MN5 and MN6 zones, and double positive excursion in the upper MN6 zone. The amplitude of excursions is usually much less in the deep-water facies. The similarity of variations in carbon isotope composition of conodont elements in geographically remote and facially different Fransnian sedimentary sequences of the northwestern Russian Plate and eastern Pechora Plate confirms the possibility of using this parameter for stratigraphic correlation.

Modelling evidence for late Eocene Antarctic glaciations

It is generally believed that a large scale Antarctic ice sheet formed at the Eocene-Oligocene transition (34.44-33.65 Ma). However, oxygen isotope excursions during the late Eocene (38-34 Ma) and geomorphic evidence of glacial erosion suggest that there were ephemeral continental scale glaciations before the Oi-1 event. Here, we investigate the Antarctic ice sheet evolution over a multi-million year timescale during the late Eocene up to the early Oligocene with the most recent estimates of carbon dioxide evolution over this time period and different bedrock elevation reconstructions. A novel ice sheet-climate modelling approach is applied where the Antarctic ice sheet model VUB-AISMPALEO is coupled to the emulated climate from HadSM3 using the coupler CLISEMv1.0. Our modelling results show that short-lived continental scale Antarctic glaciation might have occurred during the late Eocene when austral summer insolation reached a minimum in a narrow range of carbon dioxide concentrations. The Antarctic ice sheet first reached the coast in Prydz Bay and later in the Weddell Sea region, supporting the glaciomarine sediments dated prior to the EOT.

Synchronizing rock clocks in the late Cambrian

The Cambrian is the most poorly dated period of the past 541 million years. This hampers analysis of profound environmental and biological changes that took place during this period. Astronomically forced climate cycles recognized in sediments and anchored to radioisotopic ages provide a powerful geochronometer that has fundamentally refined Mesozoic–Cenozoic time scales but not yet the Palaeozoic. Here we report a continuous astronomical signal detected as geochemical variations (1 mm resolution) in the late Cambrian Alum Shale Formation that is used to establish a 16-Myr-long astronomical time scale, anchored by radioisotopic dates. The resulting time scale is biostratigraphically well-constrained, allowing correlation of the late Cambrian global stage boundaries with the 405-kyr astrochronological framework. This enables a first assessment, in numerical time, of the evolution of major biotic and abiotic changes, including the end-Marjuman extinctions and the Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion, that characterized the late Cambrian Earth.

On the origin of Shuram carbon isotope excursion in South China and its implication for Ediacaran atmospheric oxygen levels

The Ediacaran Shuram excursion marks one of the largest carbon isotope excursions in Earth’s history, but its origin remains enigmatic. In this study, we examine a carbonate section from Yangtze Gorges Area, South China that archives the Ediacaran Shuram excursion (i.e., “DOUNCE” event in South China), and report its carbon (δ13C), oxygen (δ18O), calcium (δ44/40Ca) together with published radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope values. We find that the negative δ13C excursion coincides with decreases of δ18O and δ44/40Ca values, along with a positive shift in 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Two different but internally-coherent mechanisms can attribute to our observations—extensive diagenetic alteration under different fluid-buffered systems and coastal processes, and we speculate that both of them may have played important roles in shaping the observed isotope patterns. Using a coupled C-O-Sr-Ca model, we find that these two processes both require an isotopically (13C, 18O, 44Ca) depleted exogenous fluid source (meteoric water or groundwater), potentially generated by oxidation of lithospheric organic carbon. Our hypothesis is consistent with the unique hydrogeological condition in Yangtze Gorge area during the middle Ediacaran. Further, we use an organic matter and pyrite oxidation model to provide a new conservative constraint for middle Ediacaran oxygen partial pressure (pO2). A 10–20% present atmospheric level (PAL) of oxygen concentration is estimated if the Shuram excursion can be more confidently linked to meteoric water or groundwater impacts.

Terrestrial carbon isotope stratigraphy and mammal turnover during post-PETM hyperthermals in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA

Abstract. Paleogene hyperthermals, including the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and several other smaller events, represent global perturbations to Earth's climate system and are characterized by warmer temperatures, changes in floral and faunal communities, and hydrologic changes. These events are identified in the geologic record globally by negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs), resulting from the input of isotopically light carbon into Earth's atmosphere. Much about the causes and effects of hyperthermals remains uncertain, including whether all hyperthermals were caused by the same underlying processes, how biotic effects scale with the magnitude of hyperthermals, and why CIEs are larger in paleosol carbonates relative to marine records. Resolving these questions is crucial for a full understanding of the causes of hyperthermals and their application to future climate scenarios. The primary purpose of this study was to identify early Eocene hyperthermals in the Fifteenmile Creek area of the south-central Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA. This area preserves a sequence of fluvial floodplain sedimentary rocks containing paleosol carbonates and an extensive record of fossil mammals. Previous analysis of faunal assemblages in this area revealed two pulses of mammal turnover and changes in diversity interpreted to correlate with the ETM2 and H2 hyperthermals that follow the PETM. This was, however, based on long-distance correlation of the fossil record in this area with chemostratigraphic records from elsewhere in the basin. We present new carbon isotope stratigraphies using micrite δ13C values from paleosol carbonate nodules preserved in and between richly fossiliferous mammal localities at Fifteenmile Creek to identify the stratigraphic positions of ETM2 and H2. Carbon isotope results show that the ETM2 and H2 hyperthermals, and possibly the subsequent I1 hyperthermal, are recorded at Fifteenmile Creek. ETM2 and H2 overlap with the two previously recognized pulses of mammal turnover. The CIEs for these hyperthermals are also somewhat smaller in magnitude than in more northerly Bighorn Basin records. We suggest that basin-wide differences in soil moisture and/or vegetation could contribute to variable CIE amplitudes in this and other terrestrial records.

High mercury enrichments in sediments from the Baltic continent across the late Cambrian: Controls and implications

The late Cambrian witnessed significant biological and environmental changes. However, the main triggers responsible for that formidable turnover remain largely unknown. This study investigates mercury (Hg) enrichments from the late Miaolingian to Furongian section in a unique Alum Shale drilled core obtained from southeast Sweden. Our results show that the background level of Hg is relatively high because of the presence of reducing conditions and continuous Hg supply from water mass. However, our most spectacular findings are the presence of four Hg anomalies. The most pronounced Hg anomalies are characterized by the high values in total Hg (~900 ppb) and Hg/TOC ratio (~80), as well as specific signatures of mass independent fractionation of Hg (MIFs; Δ199Hg, Δ201Hg, and Δ200Hg) that we attribute to volcanic-derived Hg. This Hg loading event occurred immediately after the globally recognized Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion (SPICE) event and could be attributed to volcanic activities during that period.

Stratification and productivity in the Western Tethys (NW Algeria) during early Toarcian

Profound environmental changes punctuated the Early Jurassic period, as recorded by marked carbon and oxygen isotope anomalies and major biotic crises. The response of low-latitude regions of Northern Gondwana to such intense changes is not documented as well as that of other Tethys areas. We present new calcareous nannofossil assemblages from three sections located in NW Algeria, in the Sahara and Tlemcen Basins, respectively. New stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data are provided from the Tlemcen Basin to reconstruct local environmental conditions in the wider context of a Toarcian greenhouse climate. We first established a solid chemo- and biostratigraphic framework by integrating stable carbon isotope data and calcareous nannofossil events. Calcareous nannofossil assemblages show common trends in the two basins, such as the occurrence in high proportions of the deep-dweller species Mitrolithus jansae , likely indicating stratification of the water column with a deep nutricline. This taxon dominated the assemblage during the negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) interval, often used to delineate the base of the Toarcian anoxic event (T-OAE). Such a nannofossil record is unique in the Western Tethys domain, as M. jansae is known to drastically decrease in abundance during the T-OAE until its disappearance in the aftermath of the event. The NW Algeria nannofossil record indicates prolonged thermal stratification of water-masses, finally triggering hyper-oligotrophy and low productivity in shallow waters during the Toarcian CIE. Such peculiar conditions are likely related to the combined effects of a warm and arid climate dominating along the northern Gondwana margin and the presence of a strong clockwise gyre over the epicontinental shelf, which brought warm equatorial waters from the Tethys Ocean to the NW Algeria shelf. • The NW Algeria nannofossil record suggests prolonged thermal stratification of water-masses. • Hyper-oligotrophy and low productivity in shallow-waters occurred during the Toarcian Event. • Such conditions are likely related to the effects of a warm and arid climate of the Northern Gondwana.

WANCE: A possibly Volcanism-Induced Ediacaran Carbon Isotope Excursion

WANCE: A possibly Volcanism-Induced Ediacaran Carbon Isotope Excursion

Proterozoic supercontinent break-up as a driver for oxygenation events and subsequent carbon isotope excursions.

Oxygen and carbon are 2 elements critical for life on Earth. Earth's most dramatic oxygenation events and carbon isotope excursions (CIE) occurred during the Proterozoic, including the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event and the associated Lomagundi CIE, the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation event, and the Shuram negative CIE during the late Neoproterozoic. A specific pattern of a long-lived positive CIE followed by a negative CIE is observed in association with oxygenation events during the Paleo- and Neo-proterozoic. We present results from a carbon cycle model designed to couple the surface and interior cycling of carbon that reproduce this pattern. The model assumes organic carbon resides in the mantle longer than carbonate, leading to systematic temporal variations in the δ13C of volcanic CO2 emissions. When the model is perturbed by periods of enhanced continental weathering, increased amounts of carbonate and organic carbon are buried. Increased deposition of organic carbon allows O2 accumulation, while positive CIEs are driven by rapid release of subducted carbonate-derived CO2 at arcs. The subsequent negative CIEs are driven by the delayed release of organic C-derived CO2 at ocean islands. Our model reproduces the sequences observed in the Paleo- and Neo-proterozoic, that is oxygenation accompanied by a positive CIE followed by a negative CIE. Periods of enhanced weathering correspond temporally to supercontinent break-up, suggesting an important connection between global tectonics and the evolution of oxygen and carbon on Earth.