Rise in seawater sulphate concentration associated with the Paleoproterozoic positive carbon isotope excursion: evidence from sulphate evaporites in the ∼2.2–2.1 Gyr shallow‐marine Lucknow Formation, South Africa
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Abstract Past oceanic sulphate concentration is important for understanding how the oceans’ redox state responded to atmospheric oxygen levels. The absence of extensive marine sulphate evaporites before ∼1.2 Gyr probably reflects low seawater sulphate and/or higher carbonate concentrations. Sulphate evaporites formed locally during the 2.22–2.06 Gyr Lomagundi positive δ 13 C excursion. However, the ∼2.2–2.1 Gyr Lucknow Formation, South Africa, provides the first direct evidence for seawater sulphate precipitation on a carbonate platform with open ocean access and limited terrestrial input. These marginal marine deposits contain evidence for evaporite molds, pseudomorphs after selenite gypsum, and solid inclusions of Ca‐sulphate in quartz. Carbon and sulphur isotope data match the global record and indicate a marine source of the evaporitic brines. The apparent precipitation of gypsum before halite requires ≥2.5 m m L −1 sulphate concentration, higher than current estimates for the Paleoproterozoic. During the Lomagundi event, which postdates the 2.32 Gyr initial rise in atmospheric oxygen, seawater sulphate concentration rose from Archean values of ≤200 μ m L −1 , but dropped subsequently because of higher pyrite burial rates and a lower oceanic redox state.
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The oldest bedded sulfate evaporite deposits in Earth's rock record appear during this interval, in the Lucknow Formation in South Africa and the Tulomozero Formation in northwest Russia.
“The oldest bedded sulfate evaporite deposits in Earth's rock record also appear during this interval, in the Lucknow Formation in South Africa (Schröder et al. 2008) and the Tulomozero Formation in northwest Russia (Melezhik et al. 2005).”
From The History of Ocean Oxygenation (2022) · cites this paper as Schröder et al. 2008
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“Originally, the initial rise in atmospheric oxygen was linked to high relative burial rates of organic carbon during the Lomagundi event, but more probably the rise of atmospheric oxygen preceded the Lomagundi event by almost 100 Myr (Bekker et al., 2004a).”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Schröder, S., Bekker, A., Beukes, N. J., Strauss, H., & Van Niekerk, H. S.
- Affiliations
- Total (France) (FR)
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- University of Johannesburg (ZA)
- University of Münster (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Schröder, S.
- Venue
- Terra Nova
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-03-18
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 108-117
- ISSN
- 0954-4879 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-3121
- OpenAlex
- W2145269694
- Cited by
- 140
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 4.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Terra Nova (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- 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
- Paleoproterozoic, ocean redox state, atmospheric oxygenation, gypsum, selenite, pyrite burial, carbonate platform
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