High-resolution δ13Ccarb chemostratigraphy from latest Guadalupian through earliest Triassic in South China and Iran
Graphical abstract
Introduction
The largest mass extinction event during the Phanerozoic was associated with a major perturbation to the global carbon cycle that is recorded in the stable carbon isotope ratios of sedimentary rocks and fossils. Rapid large negative isotope excursions in the δ13C of both carbonate rocks (δ13Ccarb) and organic matter (δ13Corg) occurred globally within the interval immediately below the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) (see a review by Korte and Kozur, 2010) and have been interpreted to result from widespread volcanism in Siberia and South China (e.g., Shen et al., 2012, Shen et al., 2013) and/or associated massive carbon release from sedimentary strata or methane clathrates (Heydari and Hassanzadeh, 2003, Retallack and Jahren, 2008, Svensen et al., 2009, Shen et al., 2011). The main pulse of the end-Permian mass extinction occurred in less than 200 kyr based on high-resolution biostratigraphic, chemostratigraphic, and radioisotopic data from South China (Shen et al., 2011).
In the past it was suggested that this mass extinction was probably a prolonged event during a eustatic lowstand whose onset coincided with the end-Guadalupian mass extinction, 7–8 Myr prior to the end-Permian mass extinction (Isozaki et al., 2007a, Yin et al., 2007). The most recent investigations of lipid biomarkers from fresh samples taken from a core drilled at Meishan indicate euxinic conditions in the marine photic zone and profound changes in plankton ecology during the entire Changhsingian Stage, well before the end-Permian mass extinction (Cao et al., 2009). However, other geochemical data are needed to evaluate whether this is a global or local phenomenon.
Carbon isotope variations across the PTB have been extensively investigated and numerous records now document the large carbon isotope excursions that continue in Lower Triassic strata as well (e.g., Payne et al., 2004, Horacek et al., 2007, Tong et al., 2007, Meyer et al., 2013, Song et al., 2013). However, the carbon isotope record for the Late Permian (Lopingian) remains poorly documented prior to the end-Permian extinction interval. Consequently, it is unclear whether the end-Permian and Early Triassic carbon cycle perturbations occurred against a background of long-term stability or, rather, represent the continuation of Late Permian carbon cycle instability. In this paper, we attempt to fill this knowledge gap by documenting the C-isotope compositions of marine bulk carbonate samples spanning the uppermost Guadalupian through the lowest Triassic from four sections in South China and four sections in Iran that are correlated with high-resolution biostratigraphy (Fig. 1).
Section snippets
Sections and materials
South China and Iran were situated in the vast, semi-enclosed Paleotethys Ocean during Lopingian time and contain continuous carbonate deposits with highly diverse faunas. Furthermore, the sections in South China also contain volcanic ash layers; they are, therefore ideal areas for high-resolution biostratigraphic (Kozur, 2005, Shen and Mei, 2010a), chemostratigraphic (Korte et al., 2004a, Richoz, 2006, Cao et al., 2009, Shen et al., 2010a, Shen et al., 2010b), geochronologic (Shen et al., 2011
Results and comparisons
Lopingian C-isotope profiles from South China and Iran are shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, respectively. Detailed carbon isotope data, methods and analysis of correlation between carbon and oxygen isotopes are presented in Supplementary data. The high-resolution conodont zones and U–Pb ash bed geochronology enable precise correlations of the δ13Ccarb excursions among sections. We recognize three primary excursions.
A composite δ13Ccarb chemostratigraphic framework for the Lopingian
The chemostratigraphic data presented here for South China and Iran establish a new composite δ13C profile for Lopingian marine carbonates (Fig. 4). This composite δ13C profile consists of the most high-resolution data from both South China and Iran, which can be used as a correlation tool and a proxy of the state of carbon cycle prior to the end-Permian mass extinction. It is particularly important to understand the tempo of the end-Permian mass extinction within a high-resolution
Discussion
The bulk carbon isotope records for the entire Lopingian of South China and Iran suggest that major global carbon cycle perturbations may have occurred during Late Permian, prior to the end-Permian mass extinction. However, variability in the pattern of isotope variation across sections leaves open the possibility that some of these excursions reflect local or regional controls rather than global disturbances of carbon cycling. Our data show that a large negative carbon isotope excursion
Acknowledgment
We thank Thomas Algeo and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments. This work is supported by NSFC (41290260) and a National Science and Technology Major Project (2011ZX05008-001-10). Cao Chang-qun's work is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB808905). This research was also supported by the United States National Science Foundation (Grants EAR-0807377 and EAR-0923620 to J.L. Payne).
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