A palaeotemperature curve for the Precambrian oceans based on silicon isotopes in cherts
Abstract
The terrestrial sediment record indicates that the Earth's climate varied drastically in the Precambrian era (before 550 million years ago), ranging from surface temperatures similar to or higher than today's to global glaciation events. The most continuous record of sea surface temperatures of that time has been derived from variations in oxygen isotope ratios of cherts (siliceous sediments), but the long-term cooling of the oceans inferred from those data has been questioned because the oxygen isotope signature could have been reset through the exchange with hydrothermal fluids after deposition of the sediments. Here we show that the silicon isotopic composition of cherts more than 550 million years old shows systematic variations with age that support the earlier conclusion of long-term ocean cooling and exclude post-depositional exchange as the main source of the isotopic variations. In agreement with other lines of evidence, a model of the silicon cycle in the Precambrian era shows that the observed silicon isotope variations imply seawater temperature changes from about 70 degrees C 3,500 million years ago to about 20 degrees C 800 million years ago.
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O and Si isotope studies suggest Hadean ocean temperatures up to 80°C, confirmed by Tartèse et al., who conclude high temperatures result from significant hydrothermal input.
“while Robert and Chaussidon (2006) propose even higher temperatures up to 80 • C, confirmed by Tartèse et al. (2017), who conclude that the high temperatures are the result of significant hydrothermal input.”
From The Emergence of Life (2019) · cites this paper as Robert and Chaussidon 2006
The Hadean climate was likely extremely unstable, oscillating between freezing and perhaps 100°C.
“Lacking much surficial erosion and weathering-the present Earth's thermostat-because of the lack of exposed landmass, and dependent on the atmospheric pressure of CO 2 , the climate was likely to have been extremely unstable, oscillating between freezing and perhaps 100 • C (Kasting and Ackerman 1986;Robert and Chaussidon 2006;Tartèse et al. 2017).”
From The Emergence of Life (2019) · cites this paper as Robert and Chaussidon 2006
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- Authors
- Robert, F., & Chaussidon, M.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- ORCID
- Chaussidon, Marc
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2006-10
- Volume
- 443
- Issue
- 7114
- Pages
- 969-972
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2078817169
- Cited by
- 510
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 18.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Keywords
- paleotemperature, Precambrian oceans, silicon isotopes, chert, seawater temperature, ocean cooling, silicon cycle, oxygen isotopes, Archean, Proterozoic, global glaciation, climate change
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Isotopes, Oceans and Seas, Oxygen Isotopes, Seawater, Silicon, Temperature, Time Factors, Geologic Sediments, History, Ancient
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