Cited by 459Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeochemistry and Elemental AnalysisGeological and Geochemical Analysis

The transition to a sulphidic ocean ~1.84 billion years ago

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Poulton, Simon W., Fralick, Philip W., Canfield, Donald E.·2004·Nature

Abstract

The Proterozoic aeon (2.5 to 0.54 billion years (Gyr) ago) marks the time between the largely anoxic world of the Archean (> 2.5 Gyr ago) and the dominantly oxic world of the Phanerozoic (< 0.54 Gyr ago). The course of ocean chemistry through the Proterozoic has traditionally been explained by progressive oxygenation of the deep ocean in response to an increase in atmospheric oxygen around 2.3 Gyr ago. This postulated rise in the oxygen content of the ocean is in turn thought to have led to the oxidation of dissolved iron, Fe(II), thus ending the deposition of banded iron formations (BIF) around 1.8 Gyr ago. An alternative interpretation suggests that the increasing atmospheric oxygen levels enhanced sulphide weathering on land and the flux of sulphate to the oceans. This increased rates of sulphate reduction, resulting in Fe(II) removal in the form of pyrite as the oceans became sulphidic. Here we investigate sediments from the approximately 1.8-Gyr-old Animikie group, Canada, which were deposited during the final stages of the main global period of BIF deposition. This allows us to evaluate the two competing hypotheses for the termination of BIF deposition. We use iron-sulphur-carbon (Fe-S-C) systematics to demonstrate continued ocean anoxia after the final global deposition of BIF and show that a transition to sulphidic bottom waters was ultimately responsible for the termination of BIF deposition. Sulphidic conditions may have persisted until a second major rise in oxygen between 0.8 to 0.58 Gyr ago, possibly reducing global rates of primary production and arresting the pace of algal evolution.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature02912

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  • Fe speciation in sediments reveals local seafloor paleoredox conditions-oxic, anoxic ferruginous, or euxinic.

    “sedimentary Fe speciation analysis (Poulton and Canfield, 2005) serves as an indicator of local paleoredox conditions on the ocean floor (i.e., oxic; anoxic, ferruginous; or euxinic) (e.g., Poulton et al., 2004;Canfield et al., 2007;2008;Lyons et al., 2009;Reinhard et al., 2009;Poulton et al., 2010;Planavsky et al., 2011;Asael et al., 2013).”

    From Trace elements at the intersection of marine biological and geochemical evolution (2016) · cites this paper as Poulton et al., 2004

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Authors
Poulton, S. W., Fralick, P. W., & Canfield, D. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Southern Denmark (DK)
  • Lakehead University (CA)
Corresponding author
Poulton, Simon W.
Venue
Nature
Published
2004-09
Volume
431
Issue
7005
Pages
173-177
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2057100418
Cited by
459
References
29
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 37
FWCI
16.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (submittedVersion)
  • Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Keywords
banded iron formations, ocean anoxia, atmospheric oxygenation, sulfate reduction, pyrite, Neoproterozoic
MeSH terms
Atmosphere, Canada, Carbon, Iron, Oceans and Seas, Oxygen, Seawater, Sulfides, Time Factors, Geologic Sediments, Eukaryota

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