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Cited by 180Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeological and Geochemical AnalysisEarth Systems and Cosmic Evolution

A statistical analysis of the carbon isotope record from the Archean to Phanerozoic and implications for the rise of oxygen

Krissansen-Totton, J., Buick, R., Catling, D. C.·2015·American Journal of Science
DOI 10.2475/04.2015.01
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Abstract

Organic and inorganic carbon isotope records reflect the burial of organic carbon over geological timescales. Permanent burial of organic carbon in the crust or mantle oxidizes the surface environment (atmosphere, ocean and biosphere) by removing reduced carbon. It has been claimed that both organic and inorganic carbon isotope ratios have remained approximately constant throughout Earth9s history, thereby implying that the flux of organic carbon burial relative to the total carbon input has remained fixed and cannot be invoked to explain the rise of atmospheric oxygen (Schidlowski, 1988; Catling and others, 2001; Holland, 2002; Holland, 2009; Kump and others, 2009; Rothman, 2015). However, the opposite conclusion has been drawn from the same carbon isotope record (Des Marais and others, 1992; Bjerrum and Canfield, 2004). To test these opposing claims, we compiled an updated carbon isotope database and applied both parametric and non-parametric statistical models to the data to quantify trends and mean-level changes in fractional organic carbon burial with associated uncertainties and confidence levels. We first consider a conventional mass-balance model where carbon input to surficial reservoirs is balanced by burial of sedimentary carbonates and organic carbon. For this model, statistical analysis implies fractional organic burial has increased over Earth history by a factor of 1.5 relative to organic burial at 3.6 Ga, with the 95 percent confidence interval ranging from factors of 1.2 to 2.0. An increase in organic burial by a factor of 1.2 cannot explain the rise of oxygen, whereas an increase by a factor of 2 could conceivably explain the rise of oxygen. There is, however, a highly significant and well constrained increase in organic burial from the Proterozoic to the Phanerozoic. We also analyze changes in the difference between carbonate and organic carbon isotopic ratios over Earth history. There is a statistically significant increase in this difference from the early to late Archean, possibly caused by increased biological fractionation due to methanotrophic recycling. This transition is consistent with the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis at 2.8 Ga or earlier. Finally, we explore how these conclusions change if we modify the traditional mass balance model to include other carbon cycle fluxes, specifically ocean crust carbonatization and authigenic carbonates. Because the size of these fluxes has a large, poorly constrained range, our statistical analysis with this uncertainty implies that the carbon isotope record does not constrain the history of organic burial at all. However, it remains possible that the magnitude of these additional processes has been inconsequential throughout geologic time, in which case conclusions from the conventional model would be valid.

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  • An increase in organic burial might have occurred if negligible oxidative weathering of 12C-rich organics on land or a sink of seafloor carbonate meant that the operation of the carbon cycle or the isotopic composition of carbon input into the surface environment differed from today.

    “However, an increase in organic burial might have occurred if negligible oxidative weathering of 12C-rich organics on land or a sink of seafloor carbonate meant that the operation of the carbon cycle or the isotopic composition of carbon input into the surface environment differed from today (130–132).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [130]

  • It is difficult to reconcile hypotheses favoring increased O2 fluxes from organic burial with the remarkable constancy of the carbon isotope record, which indicates little change in average organic burial rates between the Archean and Proterozoic.

    “Because organic carbon burial extracts 12C and leaves inorganic carbonates 12C depleted, it is difficult to reconcile these hypotheses with the remarkable constancy of the carbon isotope record, which indicates little change in average organic burial rates between the Archean and Proterozoic (130).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [130]

  • This high organic burial rate is not necessarily inconsistent with carbon isotopic constraints because early high degassing of carbon required more carbon to be buried.

    “The rate of organic burial must have been relatively high for a time-integrated loss to affect pN2 significantly (150), which is not necessarily inconsistent with carbon isotopic constraints because early high degassing of carbon required more carbon to be buried (130).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [130]

  • The Great Oxidation Event transition was likely followed by a dramatic increase in O2 inputs to the biosphere predicted from a large and long-lived carbon isotope anomaly attributed to enhanced organic carbon burial (the Lomagundi-Jatuli Event).

    “It was likely followed, however, by a dramatic increase in O2 inputs to the biosphere predicted from a large and long-lived anomaly in the carbon isotope record attributed to enhanced organic carbon burial (the Lomagundi-Jatuli Event; e.g., Krissansen-Totton et al., 2015).”

    From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Krissansen-Totton et al., 2015

  • The long run of stable carbon isotope (δ13C) values shows a marked shift to positive values, suggesting a fundamental transition in C cycling likely related to increased organic carbon burial and associated O2 release to the biosphere.

    “Foremost, the long run of stable carbon isotope (δ13C) values shows a marked shift to positive values (Fig. 2), suggesting a fundamental transition in C cycling likely related to increased organic carbon burial and associated O2 release to the biosphere (Krissansen-Totton et al., 2015).”

    From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Krissansen-Totton et al., 2015

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Authors
Krissansen-Totton, J., Buick, R., & Catling, D. C.
Affiliations
University of Washington (US)
ORCID
Venue
American Journal of Science
Publisher
American Journal of Science (AJS)
Published
2015-04-01
Volume
315
Issue
4
Pages
275-316
ISSN
0002-9599 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2475/04.2015.01
OpenAlex
W1968146047
Semantic Scholar
be5051e23f1631b175ecd480b5827257f61ddd35
Cited by
180
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 2
FWCI
10.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
American Journal of Science (publishedVersion)
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 › Atmospheric Science › Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
Keywords
carbon isotope record, organic carbon burial, Great Oxidation Event, Archean, Proterozoic, Phanerozoic, mass balance model, biological fractionation, oxygenic photosynthesis, authigenic carbonates, carbon cycle

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