The Sturtian ‘snowball’ glaciation: fire and ice

Goddéris, Yves; Donnadieu, Yannick; Nédélec, Anne; Dupré, Bernard; Dessert, Céline; Grard, Aline; Ramstein, Gilles; François, Louis

doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(03)00197-3

Cited by 168 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Interestingly, Nd isotope studies have also suggested an increase to more mantle-like (more radiogenic) values tens of millions of years before the Sturtian glaciation (57). These data are consistent with the Fire and Ice hypothesis (58,59), which proposes that Cryogenian glaciations were initiated through enhanced CO 2 consumption via weathering of basalts emplaced at low latitudes. The low-latitude breakup of Rodinia is thought to have been associated with the development of juvenile volcanic rift margins and the emplacement of multiple large igneous provinces (e.g., Willouran, Guibei, Gunbarrel, and Franklin large igneous provinces) (60).…”

Section: Fire and Ice Revisitedsupporting

confidence: 69%

Re-Os geochronology and coupled Os-Sr isotope constraints on the Sturtian snowball Earth

Rooney

Macdonald

Strauss

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

228

158

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After nearly a billion years with no evidence for glaciation, ice advanced to equatorial latitudes at least twice between 717 and 635 Mya. Although the initiation mechanism of these Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth events has remained a mystery, the broad synchronicity of rifting of the supercontinent Rodinia, the emplacement of large igneous provinces at low latitude, and the onset of the Sturtian glaciation has suggested a tectonic forcing. We present unique Re-Os geochronology and high-resolution Os and Sr isotope profiles bracketing Sturtian-age glacial deposits of the Rapitan Group in northwest Canada. Coupled with existing U-Pb dates, the postglacial Re-Os date of 662.4 ± 3.9 Mya represents direct geochronological constraints for both the onset and demise of a Cryogenian glaciation from the same continental margin and suggests a 55-My duration of the Sturtian glacial epoch. The Os and Sr isotope data allow us to assess the relative weathering input of old radiogenic crust and more juvenile, mantle-derived substrate. The preglacial isotopic signals are consistent with an enhanced contribution of juvenile material to the oceans and glacial initiation through enhanced global weatherability. In contrast, postglacial strata feature radiogenic Os and Sr isotope compositions indicative of extensive glacial scouring of the continents and intense silicate weathering in a post-Snowball Earth hothouse.rhenium-osmium geochronology | strontium isotopes | osmium isotopes | Windermere Supergroup | Neoproterozoic glaciation T he Snowball Earth hypothesis predicts that Neoproterozoic glaciations were global and synchronous at low latitudes and that deglaciation occurred as a result of the buildup of pCO 2 to extreme levels resulting in a "greenhouse" aftermath (1, 2). The temporal framework of Cryogenian glaciations is built on chemostratigraphy and correlation of lithologically distinct units, such as glaciogenic deposits, iron formation, and cap carbonates (3), tied to the few successions that contain volcanic rocks dated using U-Pb zircon geochronology (4). In strata lacking horizons suitable for U-Pb geochronology, Re-Os geochronology can provide depositional ages on organic-rich sedimentary rocks bracketing glaciogenic strata (5, 6). Moreover, Os isotope stratigraphy can be used as a proxy to test for supergreenhouse weathering during deglaciation (7). In a Snowball Earth scenario, we can make specific predictions for Cryogenian weathering: CO 2 consumption via silicate weathering should increase before glaciation, stagnate during the glaciation, and increase again during deglaciation. However, the use of a single weathering proxy to provide evidence for such a scenario, such as Sr isotopes from marine carbonates, is limited both by lithological constraints and an inability to distinguish between the amount of weathering and the composition of what is being weathered (8). The short residence time of Os in the present-day oceans (<10 ky) (9) provides a complementary higher resolution archive to Sr isotopes, and thus, insi...

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Section: Fire and Ice Revisitedsupporting

confidence: 69%

Re-Os geochronology and coupled Os-Sr isotope constraints on the Sturtian snowball Earth

Rooney

Macdonald

Strauss

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

228

158

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“…As a consequence, the results do not preclude an immediate triggering of glaciation by changes in weathering fluxes and CO 2 drawdown, for example by enhanced weathering of continental crust, large igneous provinces, or submarine basalt (Goddéris et al, 2003;Donnadieu et al, 2004;Gernon et al, 2016). Relatively low background levels of atmospheric pCO 2 , resulting from low degassing fluxes, could have set up the system for the onset of Snowball Earth, which then occurred as an immediate result of enhanced weathering events without requiring anomalously intense weathering, since pCO 2 can be more easily reduced to the levels required for runaway glaciation when the background concentrations are low.…”

Section: Geochemical Perspectives Letters Lettermentioning

confidence: 72%

“…We suggest this signal is indicative of low weathering intensity on the continents. In simplistic terms, if glaciations were caused by drawdown of atmospheric CO 2 via enhanced silicate weathering, as suggested in prior studies (Goddéris et al, 2003;Donnadieu et al, 2004;Pierrehumbert et al, 2011), the opposite would be expected, namely higher weathering intensity and thus elevated δ 18 O zircon immediately preceding and during glaciation. Global weathering fluxes should balance degassing fluxes over timescales >1 Ma, because of climate-dependent weathering feedbacks (e.g., Berner and Caldeira, 1997).…”

Section: Geochemical Perspectives Letters Lettermentioning

confidence: 86%

“…For most of Earth's history, the sources and sinks of atmospheric CO 2 have remained in close balance, maintaining the planet's equable climate (Walker et al, 1983;Berner and Caldeira, 1997). The large carbon cycle anomalies observed in the sedimentary record of the Archean and Proterozoic eras represent puzzling deviations from this general stability (Hoffman et al, 1998;Goddéris et al, 2003;Bekker and Holland, 2012;Lyons et al, 2014). Understanding the causes of these events requires information about the carbon cycle at the time, which remains scarce.…”

Section: Lettermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Running out of gas: Zircon 18O-Hf-U/Pb evidence for Snowball Earth preconditioned by low degassing

Hartmann¹,

Li²,

West³

2017

Geochem. Persp. Let.

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The general long-term stability of Earth's climate over geologic time was punctuated by dramatic excursions. Between ca. 2.5 and 0.5 billion years ago (Ga), these events included the globally extensive glaciations known as Snowball Earths, when ice extended to tropical latitudes. Such anomalous periods of time provide unique opportunities for understanding the mechanisms regulating planetary climate and habitability. However, the causes of these events remain enigmatic, in part because there is little information about fluxes in the global carbon cycle in deep time. We propose that the oxygen stable isotope composition in zircons (δ 18 O zircon ) contains information about past weathering conditions on the continents, imparted during the time between separation of parent material from the mantle (reflected in the Hf model age) and zircon crystallisation (the U/Pb age). A new compilation of coupled 18 O-Hf-U/Pb isotopic data shows that the mean δ 18 O zircon value varied particularly between 2.5 Ga and 0.5 Ga. The maximum in the δ 18 O zircon record, which we interpret as a time of intense weathering, is associated with the Lomagundi Event (~2.22-2.07 Ga), a dramatic carbon isotope excursion thought to reflect enhanced organic carbon burial facilitated by the release of phosphorous during rock weathering. The onset of the Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth events coincides with the minimum in δ 18 O zircon , suggesting low silicate weathering rates at the time. This evidence suggests that long-term decreases in the rate of CO 2 release to the atmosphere from solid Earth degassing may have preconditioned the global climate system for intense glaciations.

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“…Carbonate dissolution has an effect on the CO 2 balance of the atmosphere only on a timescale similar to or shorter than the residence time of HCO À 3 in the oceans (100 ka), while silicate weathering results in a net consumption of CO 2 (Viers et al, 2004). Chemical weathering of silicates, therefore, is known as the dominant long-term sink for atmospheric CO 2 and thus the dominant regulator of the green-house effect over geological time-scales Godderis et al, 2003). Accordingly, estimation of the present-day rates of silicate weathering and characterization of its controlling factors are crucial in interpreting and predicting past and future changes in global climate (Chetelat et al, 2008;Moon et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical weathering under mid- to cool temperate and monsoon-controlled climate: A study on water geochemistry of the Songhuajiang River system, northeast China

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2013

Applied Geochemistry

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The Sturtian ‘snowball’ glaciation: fire and ice

Cited by 168 publications

References 48 publications

Re-Os geochronology and coupled Os-Sr isotope constraints on the Sturtian snowball Earth

Re-Os geochronology and coupled Os-Sr isotope constraints on the Sturtian snowball Earth

Running out of gas: Zircon 18O-Hf-U/Pb evidence for Snowball Earth preconditioned by low degassing

Chemical weathering under mid- to cool temperate and monsoon-controlled climate: A study on water geochemistry of the Songhuajiang River system, northeast China

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