Millennial-scale ocean redox and δ13C changes across the Permian–Triassic transition at Meishan and implications for the biocrisis

Wei, Hengye; Zhang, Xuan; Qiu, Zhen

doi:10.1007/s00531-020-01869-x

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…The deposition of the pyrite horizon requires not only the availability of sulfide, but also of Fe in a quantity that is not reflected in any other part of the Meishan section. We interpret the cessation of pyrite precipitation as reflecting the exhaustion of the Fe reservoir rather than the cessation of euxinic conditions: the data of Xiang et al (2020) and Wei et al (2020) both show the persistence of anoxia from bed 24f upward through at least bed 26, though euxinia in this interval may have been episodic. There is evidence for trace metal depletion in the water column by precipitation in euxinic waters (Takahashi et al, 2014), but the abundance of Fe in their samples does not show much change across the extinction interval; their data, from an open ocean setting in the Panthalassic Ocean, may not track Fe abundances in shallow water sections like Meishan.…”

Section: Geochemistry In Relation To Depositional Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…In beds 24f, 25 and 26, gypsum constitutes up to 30% of the rock (Li and Jones, 2017). The abundance of pyrite, both as large grains and as framboidal aggregates, also varies with stratigraphy (Jiang et al, 2006;Shen et al, 2007;Li G. et al, 2016;Wei et al, 2020), and is a potential proxy for interpreting redox conditions.…”

Section: Geological and Geochemical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Major and Trace Element Geochemistry of the Permian-Triassic Boundary Section at Meishan, South China

et al. 2021

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We report extensive major and trace element data for the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) at Meishan, China. Analyses of 64 samples from a 2.5 m section span the last 75 kyr of the Permian and the first 335 kyr of the Triassic, from beds 24 to 34. We also report data for 20 acetic acid extracts that characterize the carbonate fraction. Whole rock major element data reflect the change of lithology from carbonate in the Permian to mudstone and marl in the Triassic, indicate an increase of siliciclastic input and MgO in and above the extinction interval (beds 24f–28), and silica diagenesis in carbonates below the extinction horizon. Above bed 27, enrichment factors calculated with respect to Al and Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) are ∼1 for most trace elements, confirming that siliciclastic input dominates trace element distributions in the Triassic. Within the extinction interval, beds 24f and 26 show increases in As, Mo, U and some transition metals. V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ba are variably enriched, particularly in bed 26. Below the extinction interval, the top of bed 24d shows enrichment of V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ba in a zone of diagenetic silicification. Trace elements thus reflect siliciclastic input, diagenetic redistribution, and responses to redox conditions. Trace element patterns suggest either a change in provenance of the detrital component, or a change in the proportion of mechanical to chemical weathering that is coincident with the beginning of the extinction in bed 24f. Ba, Zr, and Zn behave anomalously. Ba shows little variation, despite changes in biological activity and redox conditions. The enrichment factor for Zr is variable in the carbonates below bed 24f, suggesting diagenetic Zr mobility. Zn shows a sharp drop in the extinction horizon, suggesting that its distribution was related to phytoplankton productivity. Rare earth element content is controlled by the siliciclastic fraction, and carbonate extracts show middle rare earth enrichment due to diagenesis. Ce and Eu anomalies are not reliable indicators of the redox environment at Meishan.

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Section: Geochemistry In Relation To Depositional Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Geological and Geochemical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major and Trace Element Geochemistry of the Permian-Triassic Boundary Section at Meishan, South China

et al. 2021

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“… a – c A stratigraphic record (−8 to 20 m) of U/Pb ages 8 ( a ), stable carbon isotopic composition of carbonate 18 ( b ) as a gauge of the carbon cycle and Hg/TOC ratio 18 ( c ) representing volcanogenic Hg concentrated in terrestrial ecosystems. d – j An expanded stratigraphic record of the top 200 mm below the base of Bed 25 (0 m) for the lithological column with ages and redox conditions based on framboidal pyrite data 39 ( d ), 7-ringed PAH ( e ) as a combustion marker, PAH 7 / 5 ( f ) as a combustion temperature marker, C 2 -DBF ( g ) and C 30 hopane βα/(βα + αβ) ( h ) as markers for soil input, aluminum (relative abundance) ( i ) as a marker for clastic input, and the Hg/TOC ratio ( j ). In d , the linear high-resolution age model was constructed using a mean-weighted sedimentation rate (2.6 cm/kyr) 8 (see text).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The redox bar is after the framboidal pyrite data of ref. 39 . Py 1 and Py 2 are indicating pyrite spikes.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Centennial scale sequences of environmental deterioration preceded the end-Permian mass extinction

et al. 2023

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The exact drivers for the end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) remain controversial. Here we focus on a ~10,000 yr record from the marine type section at Meishan, China, preceding and covering the onset of the EPME. Analyses of polyaromatic hydrocarbons at sampling intervals representing 1.5–6.3 yr reveal recurrent pulses of wildfires in the terrestrial realm. Massive input pulses of soil-derived organic matter and clastic materials into the oceans are indicated by patterns of C2-dibenzofuran, C30 hopane and aluminum. Importantly, in the ~2,000 years preceding the main phase of the EPME, we observe a clearly defined sequence of wildfires, soil weathering, and euxinia provoked by the fertilization of the marine environment with soil-derived nutrients. Euxinia is indicated by sulfur and iron concentrations. Our study suggests that, in South China, centennial scale processes led to a collapse of the terrestrial ecosystem ~300 yr (120–480 yr; ± 2 s.d.) before the onset of the EPME and that this collapse induced euxinic conditions in the ocean, ultimately resulting in the demise of marine ecosystems.

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“…A later study reported negative δ 34 S values and negative Δ 33 S in pyrites from Meishan, hinting at an origin from sulfate-deficient waters, probably related to a near-shutdown of bioturbation, due to shoaling of anoxic water during the LPME (Shen et al, 2011). Recently, Wei et al (2020) reported two gradual, negative δ 13 C carb shifts before and after the PTB. These authors suggest FIGURE 4 | Lithostratigraphy and conodont biozones for the Meishan D (GSSP) section, according to Chen et al (2015); δ 13 C carb curve is from Chen et al (2005) and this study; δ 13 C org and Hg/TOC chemostratigraphic pathways were modified from Sial et al (2020a); Hg/S ( Hg/Total sulfur, TS), Hg/Al and Δ 199 Hg‰ (MIF) variation patterns are from this study.…”

Section: Geological Settings Meishan Succession Global Stratotype Section Point Chinamentioning

confidence: 95%

Hg Isotopes and Enhanced Hg Concentration in the Meishan and Guryul Ravine Successions: Proxies for Volcanism Across the Permian-Triassic Boundary

Sial¹,

Chen

Korte

et al. 2021

Front. Earth Sci.

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High-resolution organic carbon isotope (δ13C), Hg concentration and Hg isotopes curves are presented for the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) sections at Guryul Ravine (India) and Meishan D (China). The total organic carbon (TOC)-normalized Hg concentrations reveal more intense environmental changes at the Latest Permian Mass Extinction (LPME) and the earliest Triassic Mass Extinction (ETME) horizons coinciding with major δ13C shifts. To highlight palaeoredox conditions we used redox-sensitive elements and Rare Earth Element distribution. At Meishan, three Hg/TOC spikes (I, II, and III) are observed. Spike I remains after normalization by total aluminum (Al), but disappears when normalized by total sulfur (TS). Spike III, at the base of Bed 26, corresponds with excursions in the Hg/TS and Hg/Al curves, indicating a change in paleoredox conditions from anoxic/euxinic in the framboidal pyrite-bearing sediments (Bed 26) to oxygenated sediments (Bed 27). At Guryul Ravine, four Hg/TOC spikes were observed: a clear spike I in Bed 46, spike II at the base of the framboidal pyrite-rich Bed 49, spike III at the PTB, and spike IV at the LPME horizon. Some of these Hg/TOC spikes disappear when TS or Al normalization is applied. The spike I remains in the Hg/TS and Hg/Al curves (oxic conditions), spike II only in the Hg/TS curve (anoxic/euxinic), and spikes III and IV only in Hg/Al curves (oxic). In both sections, Hg deposition was organic-matter bound, the role of sulfides being minor and locally restricted to framboidal pyrite-bearing horizons. Positive mass-independent fractionation (MIF) for Hg odd isotopes (odd-MIF) was observed in pre-LPME samples, negative values in the LPME–PTB interval, and positive values above the ETME horizon. Most Hg-isotope patterns are probably controlled by the bathymetry of atmospheric Hg-bearing deposits. The source of Hg can be attributed to the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province (STLIP). In the LPME-PTB interval, a complex of STLIP sills (Stage 2) intruded coal-bearing sediments. The negative δ202Hg, the mercury odd-MIF Δ201Hg patterns, and the Δ199Hg–Hg plot in both sections are compatible with volcanic mercury deposition. Our study shows the strength of Hg/TOC ratios as paleoenvironmental proxy and as a tool for stratigraphic correlation.

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Millennial-scale ocean redox and δ13C changes across the Permian–Triassic transition at Meishan and implications for the biocrisis

Cited by 12 publications

References 81 publications

Major and Trace Element Geochemistry of the Permian-Triassic Boundary Section at Meishan, South China

Major and Trace Element Geochemistry of the Permian-Triassic Boundary Section at Meishan, South China

Centennial scale sequences of environmental deterioration preceded the end-Permian mass extinction

Hg Isotopes and Enhanced Hg Concentration in the Meishan and Guryul Ravine Successions: Proxies for Volcanism Across the Permian-Triassic Boundary

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