Cited by 172Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeological and Geochemical AnalysisGeochemistry and Elemental Analysis

Uranium isotopes distinguish two geochemically distinct stages during the later Cambrian SPICE event

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Dahl, Tais W., Boyle, Richard A., Canfield, Donald E., Connelly, James N., Gill, Benjamin C., Lenton, Timothy M., Bizzarro, Martin·2014·Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Abstract

Anoxic marine zones were common in early Paleozoic oceans (542-400 Ma), and present a potential link to atmospheric pO 2 via feedbacks linking global marine phosphorous recycling, primary production and organic carbon burial. Uranium (U) isotopes in carbonate rocks track the extent of ocean anoxia, whereas carbon (C) and sulfur (S) isotopes track the burial of organic carbon and pyrite sulfur (primary long-term sources of atmospheric oxygen). In combination, these proxies therefore reveal the comparative dynamics of ocean anoxia and oxygen liberation to the atmosphere over million-year time scales. Here we report high-precision uranium isotopic data in marine carbonates deposited during the Late Cambrian 'SPICE' event, at ca. 499 Ma, documenting a well-defined -0.18‰ negative δ238 U excursion that occurs at the onset of the SPICE event's positive δ13 C and δ34 S excursions, but peaks (and tails off) before them. Dynamic modelling shows that the different response of the U reservoir cannot be attributed solely to differences in residence times or reservoir sizes - suggesting that two chemically distinct ocean states occurred within the SPICE event. The first ocean stage involved a global expansion of euxinic waters, triggering the spike in U burial, and peaking in conjunction with a well-known trilobite extinction event. During the second stage widespread euxinia waned, causing U removal to tail off, but enhanced organic carbon and pyrite burial continued, coinciding with evidence for severe sulfate depletion in the oceans (Gill et al., 2011). We discuss scenarios for how an interval of elevated pyrite and organic carbon burial could have been sustained without widespread euxinia in the water column (both non-sulfidic anoxia and/or a more oxygenated ocean state are possibilities). Either way, the SPICE event encompasses two different stages of elevated organic carbon and pyrite burial maintained by high nutrient fluxes to the ocean, and potentially sustained by internal marine geochemical feedbacks.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.043

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  • Model calculations suggest that oceans would have been homogeneous in U isotope composition during the Cambrian, despite potentially greater U burial in anoxic settings.

    “Model calculations suggest that oceans still would have been homogeneous in U isotope composition during the Cambrian, despite potentially greater U burial in anoxic settings that were generally more common at the time (19).”

    From Atmosphere-ocean oxygen and productivity dynamics during early animal radiations (2019) · cites this paper as [19]

    Section 2 treats seawater U as a global isotope reservoir, and Section 4.1 models Cambrian conditions with larger euxinic areas and enhanced burial. But the model assumes a global seawater composition; the cited passages do not show calculations testing whether Cambrian oceans remained isotopically homogeneous despite that burial. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The δ238U proxy has reliably recorded negative δ238U excursions at times when anoxic water masses expanded in the oceans.

    “The δ238U proxy has been applied to better constrain oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) in the past and reliably recorded negative δ238U excursions at times when anoxic water masses expanded in the oceans (19–23).”
  • Deltaic settings are oxygenated and preferentially affect the marine C and S cycle through organic carbon and pyrite sulfur burial to a greater degree than deltaic burial affects the marine U cycle.

    “Deltaic settings are oxygenated and preferentially affect the marine C and S cycle through organic carbon and pyrite sulfur burial (to a greater degree than deltaic burial affects the marine U cycle) (19).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Derry LA Resolving inconsistent sedimentary carbon mass balances: implications for ancient C and S cycles Goldschmidt Conference Abstracts. Mineral. Mag 2013 77 978
  2. Garrels RM Perry EA Goldberg ED Cycling of carbon, sulfur, and oxygen through geologic time The Sea 1974 5 303 316 Wiley New York, N.Y.
  3. Green PM Balfe PE Stratigraphic Drilling Report - GSQ Mt Whelan 1 and 2 Queensland and Government Mining Journal 1980

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Authors
Dahl, T. W., Boyle, R. A., Canfield, D. E., Connelly, J. N., Gill, B. C., Lenton, T. M., & Bizzarro, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
  • University of Southern Denmark (DK)
  • Virginia Tech (US)
  • University of Exeter (GB)
Corresponding author
Dahl, Tais W.
Venue
Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-09
Volume
401
Pages
313-326
ISSN
0012-821X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2067022994
Cited by
172
References
86
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 1
FWCI
8.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Earth and Planetary Science Letters (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (EAR-0418270, EAR-0719911)
  • Villum Foundation (VKR023127)
  • Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF-53, DNRF97)
  • European Research Council (616027-STARDUST2ASTEROIDS)
  • ERC
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
Keywords
uranium isotopes, Late Cambrian, ocean anoxia, euxinia, organic carbon burial, atmospheric oxygenation, carbon isotopes, sulfur isotopes, sulfate depletion, paleo-oxygenation

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