Isotopic evidence for an anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentration following end-Permian mass extinction

Genming Luo; Lee R. Kump; Yongbiao Wang; Jinnan Tong; Michael A. Arthur; Hao Yang; Junhua Huang; Hongfu Yin; Shucheng Xie

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.041

Isotopic evidence for an anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentration following end-Permian mass extinction

Genming Luo
, Lee R. Kump
, Yongbiao Wang
, Jinnan Tong
, Michael A. Arthur
, Hao Yang
, Junhua Huang
, Hongfu Yin
, Shucheng Xie

Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

162 Scopus citations

Abstract

The cataclysmic end-Permian mass extinction was immediately followed by a global expansion of microbial ecosystems, as demonstrated by widespread microbialite sequences (disaster facies) in shallow water settings. Here we present high-resolution carbonate carbon (δ¹³C_carb) and carbonate-associated sulfate-sulfur isotope (δ³⁴S_CAS) records from the microbialite in the Cili Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) section in South China. A stepwise decline in δ¹³C_carb begins in the underlying skeletal limestone, predating the main oceanic mass extinction and the first appearance of microbialite, and reaches its nadir in the upper part of the microbialite layer. The corresponding δ³⁴S_CAS, in the range of 17.4‰ to 27.4‰, is relatively stable in the underlying skeletal limestone, and increases gradually from 2m below the microbialite rising to a peak at the base of the microbialite. Two episodes of positive and negative shifts occurred within the microbialite layer, and exhibit a remarkable co-variance of sulfur and carbon isotope composition. The large amplitude of the variation in δ³⁴S_CAS, as high as 7‰ per 100kiloyears, suggests a small oceanic sulfate reservoir size at this time. Furthermore, the δ¹³C_carb and δ³⁴S_CAS records co-vary without phase lag throughout the microbialite interval, implying a marine-driven C cycle in an anoxic ocean with anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentrations. On the basis of a non-steady-state box model, we argue that the oceanic sulfate concentration may have fallen to less than 15%, perhaps as low as 3%, of that in the modern oceans. Low oceanic sulfate concentration likely was the consequence of evaporite deposition and widespread anoxic/sulfidic conditions prior to the main mass extinction. By promoting methanogenesis and a build-up of atmospheric CH₄ and CO₂, low oceanic sulfate may have intensified global warming, exacerbating the inimical environmental conditions of the latest Permian.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	101-111
Number of pages	11
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	300
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.041
State	Published - Nov 15 2010

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geophysics
Geochemistry and Petrology
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.041

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@article{e4438661867345bf863903e7526ed930,

title = "Isotopic evidence for an anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentration following end-Permian mass extinction",

abstract = "The cataclysmic end-Permian mass extinction was immediately followed by a global expansion of microbial ecosystems, as demonstrated by widespread microbialite sequences (disaster facies) in shallow water settings. Here we present high-resolution carbonate carbon (δ13Ccarb) and carbonate-associated sulfate-sulfur isotope (δ34SCAS) records from the microbialite in the Cili Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) section in South China. A stepwise decline in δ13Ccarb begins in the underlying skeletal limestone, predating the main oceanic mass extinction and the first appearance of microbialite, and reaches its nadir in the upper part of the microbialite layer. The corresponding δ34SCAS, in the range of 17.4‰ to 27.4‰, is relatively stable in the underlying skeletal limestone, and increases gradually from 2m below the microbialite rising to a peak at the base of the microbialite. Two episodes of positive and negative shifts occurred within the microbialite layer, and exhibit a remarkable co-variance of sulfur and carbon isotope composition. The large amplitude of the variation in δ34SCAS, as high as 7‰ per 100kiloyears, suggests a small oceanic sulfate reservoir size at this time. Furthermore, the δ13Ccarb and δ34SCAS records co-vary without phase lag throughout the microbialite interval, implying a marine-driven C cycle in an anoxic ocean with anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentrations. On the basis of a non-steady-state box model, we argue that the oceanic sulfate concentration may have fallen to less than 15\%, perhaps as low as 3\%, of that in the modern oceans. Low oceanic sulfate concentration likely was the consequence of evaporite deposition and widespread anoxic/sulfidic conditions prior to the main mass extinction. By promoting methanogenesis and a build-up of atmospheric CH4 and CO2, low oceanic sulfate may have intensified global warming, exacerbating the inimical environmental conditions of the latest Permian.",

author = "Genming Luo and Kump, \{Lee R.\} and Yongbiao Wang and Jinnan Tong and Arthur, \{Michael A.\} and Hao Yang and Junhua Huang and Hongfu Yin and Shucheng Xie",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Prof. Chaoyong Hu, Dr. Xiaoyan Ruan and Shouzhi Hu for their assistance in the field. We are indebted to Prof. Tom Algeo and Ying Cui for discussion of P–Tr events, and Prof. Shuhai Xiao for constructive suggestions and critical comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Master's students Xiao Bai, Lei He, Ze Zhang, Xia Wu and Huan Wang are also thanked for their help in the laboratory. This work was supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (grant nos. 40730209 and 40921062 ), the 973 program (grant no. 2011CB808800 ), the 111 project (grant no. B08030 ), the US National Science Foundation ( EAR 0807744 to LRK), and the US NASA Astrobiology Institute (grant no. NAA09DA76A ) to MAA and LRK. ",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.041",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "300",

pages = "101--111",

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T1 - Isotopic evidence for an anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentration following end-Permian mass extinction

AU - Luo, Genming

AU - Kump, Lee R.

AU - Wang, Yongbiao

AU - Tong, Jinnan

AU - Arthur, Michael A.

AU - Yang, Hao

AU - Huang, Junhua

AU - Yin, Hongfu

AU - Xie, Shucheng

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Prof. Chaoyong Hu, Dr. Xiaoyan Ruan and Shouzhi Hu for their assistance in the field. We are indebted to Prof. Tom Algeo and Ying Cui for discussion of P–Tr events, and Prof. Shuhai Xiao for constructive suggestions and critical comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Master's students Xiao Bai, Lei He, Ze Zhang, Xia Wu and Huan Wang are also thanked for their help in the laboratory. This work was supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (grant nos. 40730209 and 40921062 ), the 973 program (grant no. 2011CB808800 ), the 111 project (grant no. B08030 ), the US National Science Foundation ( EAR 0807744 to LRK), and the US NASA Astrobiology Institute (grant no. NAA09DA76A ) to MAA and LRK.

PY - 2010/11/15

Y1 - 2010/11/15

N2 - The cataclysmic end-Permian mass extinction was immediately followed by a global expansion of microbial ecosystems, as demonstrated by widespread microbialite sequences (disaster facies) in shallow water settings. Here we present high-resolution carbonate carbon (δ13Ccarb) and carbonate-associated sulfate-sulfur isotope (δ34SCAS) records from the microbialite in the Cili Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) section in South China. A stepwise decline in δ13Ccarb begins in the underlying skeletal limestone, predating the main oceanic mass extinction and the first appearance of microbialite, and reaches its nadir in the upper part of the microbialite layer. The corresponding δ34SCAS, in the range of 17.4‰ to 27.4‰, is relatively stable in the underlying skeletal limestone, and increases gradually from 2m below the microbialite rising to a peak at the base of the microbialite. Two episodes of positive and negative shifts occurred within the microbialite layer, and exhibit a remarkable co-variance of sulfur and carbon isotope composition. The large amplitude of the variation in δ34SCAS, as high as 7‰ per 100kiloyears, suggests a small oceanic sulfate reservoir size at this time. Furthermore, the δ13Ccarb and δ34SCAS records co-vary without phase lag throughout the microbialite interval, implying a marine-driven C cycle in an anoxic ocean with anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentrations. On the basis of a non-steady-state box model, we argue that the oceanic sulfate concentration may have fallen to less than 15%, perhaps as low as 3%, of that in the modern oceans. Low oceanic sulfate concentration likely was the consequence of evaporite deposition and widespread anoxic/sulfidic conditions prior to the main mass extinction. By promoting methanogenesis and a build-up of atmospheric CH4 and CO2, low oceanic sulfate may have intensified global warming, exacerbating the inimical environmental conditions of the latest Permian.

AB - The cataclysmic end-Permian mass extinction was immediately followed by a global expansion of microbial ecosystems, as demonstrated by widespread microbialite sequences (disaster facies) in shallow water settings. Here we present high-resolution carbonate carbon (δ13Ccarb) and carbonate-associated sulfate-sulfur isotope (δ34SCAS) records from the microbialite in the Cili Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) section in South China. A stepwise decline in δ13Ccarb begins in the underlying skeletal limestone, predating the main oceanic mass extinction and the first appearance of microbialite, and reaches its nadir in the upper part of the microbialite layer. The corresponding δ34SCAS, in the range of 17.4‰ to 27.4‰, is relatively stable in the underlying skeletal limestone, and increases gradually from 2m below the microbialite rising to a peak at the base of the microbialite. Two episodes of positive and negative shifts occurred within the microbialite layer, and exhibit a remarkable co-variance of sulfur and carbon isotope composition. The large amplitude of the variation in δ34SCAS, as high as 7‰ per 100kiloyears, suggests a small oceanic sulfate reservoir size at this time. Furthermore, the δ13Ccarb and δ34SCAS records co-vary without phase lag throughout the microbialite interval, implying a marine-driven C cycle in an anoxic ocean with anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentrations. On the basis of a non-steady-state box model, we argue that the oceanic sulfate concentration may have fallen to less than 15%, perhaps as low as 3%, of that in the modern oceans. Low oceanic sulfate concentration likely was the consequence of evaporite deposition and widespread anoxic/sulfidic conditions prior to the main mass extinction. By promoting methanogenesis and a build-up of atmospheric CH4 and CO2, low oceanic sulfate may have intensified global warming, exacerbating the inimical environmental conditions of the latest Permian.

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U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.041

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JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

IS - 1-2

ER -

Isotopic evidence for an anomalously low oceanic sulfate concentration following end-Permian mass extinction

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