U/Th age constraints on the absence of ice in the central Inn Valley (eastern Alps, Austria) during Marine Isotope Stages 5c to 5a

2006 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Spötl ◽  
Augusto Mangini

AbstractCalcitic flowstones are present in fractures of a Pleistocene breccia near Innsbruck, Austria, and record periods of carbonate precipitation in the unsaturated zone between 101,500 ± 1500 and 70,300 ± 1800 yr, constrained by U-series disequilibrium dates. The occurrence of these speleothems, their low carbon isotopic composition, and the lack of infiltrated siliciclastic material demonstrate that the central Inn valley – which harbored one of the most extensive valley glaciers during the last glacial maximum – was ice-free during Marine Isotope Stages 5c to 5a. Climatically warm periods are separated by distinct drops in the oxygen isotopic composition of the speleothem calcite, attributed to strong and possibly seasonally biased atmospheric cooling. During these intervening stadials, which mirror those identified in the Greenland ice cores and marine sea-surface temperature records, calcite deposition apparently came to a halt, but the Inn Valley remained ice-free. The youngest calcite layer formed between ∼74,000 and ∼70,000 yr and places a maximum age limit on the likely expansion of alpine glaciers during the Marine Isotope Stage 5/4 transition, consistent with other speleothem records.

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keke Huang ◽  
Xiaoning Li ◽  
Zuowei Hu ◽  
Yijiang Zhong

<p>The late Permian thermal events related to Emeishan Basalt has made a great impact on the underlying carbonate rock properties in the western margin of the Yangtze Platform. In this paper, we investigate the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of the Qixia Formation carbonates from two sections: the Qiaoting Section in the northeastern part of the Sichuan Basin and the Changjianggou Section at the northwestern edge of the Basin. The data reveal that: (i) Samples from Qiaoting section show a relatively narrow range of δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O, varying from 2.7‰ to 5.2‰ with an average of 4.2‰, and -3.8‰ to -7.8‰ with an average of -5.4‰, respectively. In contrast, Samples from Changjianggou section exhibit larger magnitude of variation in δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O, ranging from -1‰ to 3.8‰ with an average of 1.5‰, and -2.1 to -9.2‰, with an average of -6.0‰ respectively; (ii) δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O records in carbonates from Qiaoting section are similar to those of Middle Permian seawater whereas carbonates from the Changjianggou section are depleted in <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>18</sup>O compared to contemporary seawater; (iii) On the basis of combined petrographic and paleo-heat flow evidence, the lower carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of the carbonates from the Changjianggou section are interpreted to be the results of thermal effects of Emeishan Basalt because of its proximity to the eruption center of the basalt. The high temperature reduced the δ<sup>18</sup>O values of the carbonates and forced the organic matter to mature at an early stage, thus producing <sup>13</sup>C-enriched carbon dioxide to participate in the formation of carbonates.  </p><p> </p><p><strong>Composición Isotópica de Oxígeno y Carbón en Rocas de Carbonato de la Formación de Edad Pérmica Qixia, en la Cuenca de Sichuan: Efectos Térmicos del Basalto Emeishan  </strong></p><p><strong><br /></strong></p><p><strong>Resumen</strong></p><p>Los eventos térmicos del Pérmico tardío relacionados con el Basalto Emeishan han tenido un gran impacto en las propiedades de las rocas de carbonato subyacentes en el margen occidental de la plataforma Yangtze. En este artículo se investiga la composición isotópica de carbonatos de la formación Qixia en dos secciones: la sección de Qiaoting en la parte nororiental de la cuenca Sichuan y la sección Changjianggou, en el noroccidente de la cuenca. La información evidencia que, (i) las muestras de la sección Qiaoting tienen un espectro más angosto que va de δ<sup>13</sup>C a δ<sup>18</sup>O, con variación de 2.7 ‰ a 5,2 ‰, con un promedio de 4.2 ‰, y -3.8 ‰ a -7.8 ‰, con una media de -5.4 ‰, respectivamente. En contraste, las muestras de la sección Changjianggou tienen una variación de mayor magnitud en δ<sup>13</sup>C a δ<sup>18</sup>O que va desde -1 ‰ hasta 3.8 ‰, con un promedio de 1.5 ‰, y de -2.1 a -9.2 ‰, con una media de -6.0 ‰, respectivamente; (ii) los registros de δ<sup>13</sup>C y δ<sup>18</sup>O en carbonatos son similares a los de agua marina del pérmico medio, mientras que los carbonatos de la sección Changjianggou se ven empobrecidos en 13C y 18O comparados al agua marina de esta edad; con base en la petrografía combinada y la evidencia del flujo paleotérmico, la baja composición isotópica de oxígeno y carbón de los carbonatos en la sección de Changjianggou se interpretó como resultado de los efectos térmicos del Basalto Emeishan debido a la proximidad con el centro de erupción. La alta temperatura redujo los valores de δ<sup>18</sup>O de los carbonatos y llevó a la maduración temprana de la materia orgánica, lo que produjo dióxido de carbono enriquecido en <sup>13</sup>C durante la formación de los carbonatos.</p>


1996 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 249-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter K. Swart ◽  
Jim J. Leder

There is a fundamental ecologic differentiation between zooxanthellate and non-zooxanthellate corals. This paper reviews factors which govern the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of these groups of corals. Although the stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of coral skeletons are strongly influenced by environmental and physiological factors, the precise mechanisms remain a matter of debate. In particular the oxygen isotopic composition is known to be governed by the temperature and the oxygen isotopic composition of the water and perhaps also by kinetic factors. In contrast the carbon isotopic composition is controlled by a combination of photosynthesis, respiration, autotrophy, heterotrophy, and the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon. Using a combination of carbon and oxygen isotopes it is possible to distinguish zooxanthellate from non-zooxanthellate corals.


2005 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
QING-JUN GUO ◽  
HARALD STRAUSS ◽  
CONG-QIANG LIU ◽  
YUAN-LONG ZHAO ◽  
DAO-HUI PI ◽  
...  

Secular variations in the carbon isotopic composition of organic and carbonate carbon characterize the Lower to Middle Cambrian transition that is exposed on the Yangtze Platform at Taijiang, Guizhou Province, southern China. δ13C values for organic matter range between −33.4 and −26.5‰. The carbon isotopic composition for carbonate carbon fluctuates between −2.7 and +3.1‰. A progressive decrease in the isotopic difference (Δδ) between these two isotope records reflects a decrease in the proportional contribution of bacterial biomass to the total sedimentary organic matter. In general, the observed changes are interpreted to reflect primary depositional values, notably variations in the burial rates of organic matter. These, in turn, are linked to biological changes across the Lower to Middle Cambrian transition. No distinct shift in the carbon isotopic composition marks the proposed Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary.


1992 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 7-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. F. Anderson ◽  
B. N. Popp ◽  
L. Z. HO ◽  
A. C. Williams

The excellent preservation of calcareous invertebrates and phosphatic vertebrates in the Lower Oxford Clay provides a good opportunity for paleooceanographic reconstruction based on stable isotopic abundances. We present here our initial results and interpretations on carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses on fossils of different depth habitats. Benthic fossils include epifaunal oysters and infaunal nuculacean bivalves. We also analyzed “pendant” bivalves whose depth habitat is uncertain. Fossil nekton are represented by ammonites and belemnites. Organisms that inhabited the uppermost part of the water column are represented by marine reptiles, such as icthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, and probable pelagic fish.The oxygen isotopic compositions of calcareous benthos and nekton overlap substantially (δ180 = −2 to +1 permil vs. PDB). The wide scatter in δ180 values probably reflects physiological (non-equilibrium) effects in calcification rather than paleoenvironmental variations. Mean δ180 values for oysters, pendant bivalves, and belemnites (all calcitic) and nuculacean bivalves (aragonitic) correspond to precipitation at isotopic equilibrium with non-glacial seawater at temperatures of 15°-18°. The mean isotopic paleotemperature for ammonites (aragonitic) is slightly higher (20°) but is probably not significantly different from those for other calcareous macro-invertebrates. Preliminary oxygen isotopic results on phosphate extracted from bones, teeth, and gill rays correspond to paleotemperatures of 20°–25°.Carbon isotopic results are limited to data from calcareous benthos and nekton. δ 13C values for individual taxa are quite variable (+2 to +5 permil for aragonitic fossils, 0 to +3 permil for calcitic fossils), suggesting physiological isotope effects. Nonetheless, mean δ 13C values are consistent with calcification in seawater having a carbon isotopic composition similar to that of modern average seawater. The presumably high flux of 13C-depleted CO2 into bottom waters from the diagenesis of sedimentary organic matter is not recorded in the carbon isotopic composition of benthic fossils.Thermal stratification implied by the oxygen isotopic record suggests the penetration of cool, nutrient-rich waters into the Lower Oxford Clay sea. Upward advection of deep waters together with runoff from adjacent landmasses must have provided sufficient nutrients to maintain the inferred high productivity of surface waters. The influence of productivity on the carbon isotopic composition of surface waters will be tested by the analysis of calcareous phytoplankton.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 2015-2057 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Schneider ◽  
J. Schmitt ◽  
P. Köhler ◽  
F. Joos ◽  
H. Fischer

Abstract. The reconstruction of the stable carbon isotope evolution in atmospheric CO2 (δ13Catm), as archived in Antarctic ice cores, bears the potential to disentangle the contributions of the different carbon cycle fluxes causing past CO2 variations. Here we present a highly resolved record of δ13Catm before, during and after the Marine Isotope Stage 5.5 (155 000 to 105 000 yr BP). The record was derived with a well established sublimation method using ice from the EPICA Dome C (EDC) and the Talos Dome ice cores in East Antarctica. We find an 0.4‰ offset between the mean δ13Catm level in the Penultimate (~140 000 yr BP) and Last Glacial Maximum (~22 000 yr BP), which can be explained by either (i) changes in the isotopic composition or (ii) intensity of the carbon input fluxes to the combined ocean/atmosphere carbon reservoir or (iii) by long-term peat buildup. Our isotopic data suggest that the carbon cycle evolution along Termination II and the subsequent interglacial was controlled by essentially the same processes as during the last 24 000 yr, but with different phasing and magnitudes. Furthermore, a 5000 yr lag in the CO2 decline relative to EDC temperatures is confirmed during the glacial inception at the end of MIS 5.5 (120 000 yr BP). Based on our isotopic data this lag can be explained by terrestrial carbon release and carbonate compensation.


LITOSFERA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 829-848
Author(s):  
D. N. Shebolkin

Research subject. Wenlock deposits in the Subpolar Urals and southern part of the Chernyshev Ridge. Materials and methods. Carbonate and terrigenous-carbonate rock samples from sections of the Subpolar Urals (outcrops 212, 217) and the southern part of the Chernyshev Ridge (outcrop 479) were studied by isotope analysis of carbonate carbon and oxygen.Results. The isotopic composition of the studied sections varies across a wide range of δ13С (–6.4…–0.05‰) and δ18O (20.0–26.9‰). Therefore, three time intervals characterized by distinctive isotopic characteristics can be distinguished, roughly corresponding to early Sheinwoodian (I), late Sheinwoodian (II) and Homerian (III). Interval I is characterized exclusively by the rocks of outcrop 479 with δ13С (–3.6…–3.0‰) and δ18O (22.4–23.6‰). In Interval II, the average values of isotopic characteristics of outcrop 479 indicate a tendency to weighting carbon (–5.5…–3.5‰) and somewhat heavier oxygen (23.2–25.2‰) isotopes. In outcrop 212, the average isotopic values for carbon and oxygen vary from –2.9 to –1.3‰ and from 21.9 to 24.3‰, respectively. In outcrop 217, the average values are δ13C (–1.8…–0.8‰) and δ18O (22.4–25.4‰). In Interval III, the average values of carbon isotopic composition in outcrop 479 are becoming heavier from –2.5 to –0.7‰. In outcrop 212, the isotopic values of oxygen (21.9–23.1‰) and carbon (–4.9…–2.5‰) tend to become weighting; however, in outcrop 217, the average isotopic values of δ13C (–1.9…–0.5‰) and δ18O (22.3–24.5‰) remain constant. The conducted litho-facial studies showed that the weighting carbon isotopic composition ranging from –6.4…to –3.0‰ is associated with an increase in microbial activity in sediments, the manifestation of vadose-phreatic conditions, and the intake of light carbon dioxide with a flow of terrigenous material from the earth. In the latter case, oxygen isotopic values are also the most lightweight (20.0–23.0‰).Conclusions. The obtained isotopic characteristics of the Wenlock rocks under study indicate the expedience of identifying three time intervals and their correlation with paleogeographic reconstructions of Wenlockian sedimentation in the Timan-northern Ural region.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 3565-3578 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. D. Sofen ◽  
B. Alexander ◽  
S. A. Kunasek

Abstract. We use a global three-dimensional chemical transport model to quantify the influence of anthropogenic emissions on atmospheric sulfate production mechanisms and oxidant concentrations constrained by observations of the oxygen isotopic composition (Δ17O = &amp;delta17O–0.52 × &amp;delta18O) of sulfate in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores and aerosols. The oxygen isotopic composition of non-sea salt sulfate (Δ17O(SO42–)) is a function of the relative importance of each oxidant (e.g. O3, OH, H2O2, and O2) during sulfate formation, and can be used to quantify sulfate production pathways. Due to its dependence on oxidant concentrations, Δ17O(SO42–) has been suggested as a proxy for paleo-oxidant levels. However, the oxygen isotopic composition of sulfate from both Greenland and Antarctic ice cores shows a trend opposite to that expected from the known increase in the concentration of tropospheric O3 since the preindustrial period. The model simulates a significant increase in the fraction of sulfate formed via oxidation by O2 catalyzed by transition metals in the present-day Northern Hemisphere troposphere (from 11% to 22%), offset by decreases in the fractions of sulfate formed by O3 and H2O2. There is little change, globally, in the fraction of tropospheric sulfate produced by gas-phase oxidation (from 23% to 27%). The model-calculated change in Δ17O(SO42–) since preindustrial times (1850 CE) is consistent with Arctic and Antarctic observations. The model simulates a 42% increase in the concentration of global mean tropospheric O3, a 10% decrease in OH, and a 58% increase in H2O2 between the preindustrial period and present. Model results indicate that the observed decrease in the Arctic Δ17O(SO42–) – in spite of increasing tropospheric O3 concentrations – can be explained by the combined effects of increased sulfate formation by O2 catalyzed by anthropogenic transition metals and increased cloud water acidity, rendering Δ17O(SO42–) insensitive to changing oxidant concentrations in the Arctic on this timescale. In Antarctica, the Δ17O(SO42–) is sensitive to relative changes of oxidant concentrations because cloud pH and metal emissions have not varied significantly in the Southern Hemisphere on this timescale, although the response of Δ17O(SO42–) to the modeled changes in oxidants is small. There is little net change in the Δ17O(SO42–) in Antarctica, in spite of increased O3, which can be explained by a compensatory effect from an even larger increase in H2O2. In the model, decreased oxidation by OH (due to lower OH concentrations) and O3 (due to higher H2O2 concentrations) results in little net change in Δ17O(SO42–) due to offsetting effects of Δ17O(OH) and Δ17O(O3). Additional model simulations are conducted to explore the sensitivity of the oxygen isotopic composition of sulfate to uncertainties in the preindustrial emissions of oxidant precursors.


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