Cretaceous Oceanic Redbeds: Implications for Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanography

The Cretaceous is among the most unusual eras in the geological past. Geoscience communities have been having great concerns with geological phenomena within this period, for example carbonate platforms and black shales in the Early and Middle Cretaceous respectively, during the last decades. But few people have paid any attention to the set of pelagic redbeds lying on the black shales, not to mention the applications to paleoclimatology and paleoceanography. It is shown by the sedimentary records of redbeds, that they were deposited around the CCD, with both a higher content of iron and much lower concentrations of organic carbon, which implies conditions with a relatively high content of oxygen. Such redbeds occurred in the global oceans, mainly in the Tethyan realm, with different durations of deposition and a climax from the late Santonian to early Campanian. Global cooling and dramatic changes in ocean currents might help to increase the oxygen flux between the atmosphere and ocean, after the large scale organic carbon burial during the Middle Cretaceous, and therefore lead to the oxygenation of deep ocean and so the occurrence of late Cretaceous oceanic redbeds.

Miocene to Pliocene Paleoceanography of the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean Based on Calcareous Nannofossils, ODP Hole 805B

We describe in detail the Miocene to Quaternary paleoceanography of the western equatorial Pacific Ocean based on calcareous nannofossils of Hole 805B. The relative abundance of Discoaster which lived in the lower photic zone under the stable sea with nutricline and thermocline, decreased step by step at NN5/NN6 and NN10/NN11 boundaries. Al- though the size of Reticulofenestra which is strongly influenced by nutrient, increased five times throughout the section, it drastically decreased in NN4-5 zone, NN10, NN12, and in NN15/NN16 boundary. On the basis of the relationship between Discoaster abundance and Reticulofenestra size change, collapse of the stability of the sea surface in the west- ern equatorial Pacific Ocean progressed step by step throughout the Miocene to Quaternary.

Reconstruction of Paleoceanography Significance in the Western Pacific and Atlantic Oceans during the Neogene Based on Calcareous Nannofossil Productivity and Size Variations, Related to the Global Tectonic Events

We investigated the calcareous nannofossils in the western Pacific and Bahama Bank of Caribbean Sea to reconstruct the paleoceanography and correlate with the global events. The absolute abundant of coccolith (number/g) are gradually increased from NN6 throughout NN19 Zone, while the relative abundance of Discoaster is decreased at Sites 782 in the western Pacific Ocean. The changes of the modal and maximum size of Reticulofenestra which are strongly reflected the collapse of sea surface stability, show four times in 8.8 Ma, 6.4 Ma, 5.4 Ma and 3.75 Ma at Site 782. On the basis of relationship between the changes of maximum sizes of Reticulofenestra and nutrient condition, these eutrophication events are clearly traceable to the western Pacific, Bahama Bank, northwestern Pacific Ocean and to the Indian Ocean. Two paleoceanographic events found in 8.8 Ma and 3.75 Ma are interpreted as change to high nutrient condition resulted in the intensification of Asian Monsoon and closure of Panama Isthmus.

Carbonate dissolution and deep-water paleoceanography of the South China Sea since the Middle Pleistocene

Based on the data of oxygen isotope, micro-paleontology and paleomagnetism, we set up the detailed chronology of Core 17957-2 from the southern South China Sea and discuss the change of carbonate dissolution over the last 800 ka. Down-core variation of carbonate content records the 'Pacific-type' cycle of higher glacial values and lower interglacial values, though the core lies above the modern lysocline. Carbonate dissolution indices indicate that several severe dissolution of CaCO3 happened during the transition from interglacial to glacial stages. Spectral analyses of these indices show that the carbonate dissolution periodicities are mainly made up of 500 ka and 100 ka. Compared with the cycles of carbonate dissolution of the Indian Ocean, the long-term (500-ka) periodicity reflects the characteristic of the deep-water circulation of the oceans.

Paleoceanographic Indicators for Early Cambrian Black Shales from the Yangtze Platform, South China: Evidence from Biomarkers and Carbon Isotopes

The lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation, a widespread black shale deposition, is of geological interest because of its polymetallic beds, Cambrian explosion, depositional ages, dramatic environmental changes and so on. Previous study focused mainly on inorganic geochemistry and few studies have investigated the organic fractions of upper Neoproterozoic-lower Cambrian strata in South China. Here we report a study of biomarkers plus organic carbon isotopes for black shales from Ganziping, Hunan Province （China）. All the saturated hydrocarbon fractions have a unimodal distribution of n-alkanes, a high content of short-chain alkanes and maximize at C 19 or C 20 （C 23 for sample Gzh00-1）. The C 27 /C 29 sterane ratio ranges from 0.77 to 1.20 and 4-methylsteranes are in low abundance. These parameters indicate that algae and bacteria are the important primary producers. Furthermore, biomarker maturity proxies show the samples to be higher maturity. The low Pr/Ph values （0.7） suggest that the samples were deposited under anoxic conditions and, likely, under stratified water columns. In addition, 25-norhopanes and gammacerane are present as diagnostic indicators of normal marine salinity and dysoxic to anoxic conditions. During the Early Tommotian, known to coincide with a transgression event, small shelly fossils increased in abundance and diversity. Moreover, positive δ 13 C org excursions close to 1.4‰ occur at the base of the Tommotian stage. In summary, the Early Cambrian black shales were deposited under dramatic paleoenvironmental changes, including oceanic anoxia, higher primary productivity and sea-level rise.

Jurassic Black Shales Facies from Qiangtang Basin (Northern Tibet): Rare Earth and Trace Elements for Paleoceanographic Implications

The Biluo Co and Amdo 114 station, northern Tibet, cropping out the Early Toarcian and Middle-Late Tithonian （Jurassic） organic-rich black shales, have been a focus to petroleum geologists in discussing their oil-producing potential. This paper first reports the trace elements and rare earth elements to discuss the paleoenvironments, redox conditions and sedimentary mechanisms of those black shales. Both sections exhibit variation in trace element abundances with concentrations 〈0.1 ppm to 760 ppm, mostly enriched in V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ba and U. Element ratios of Ni/Co, V/Cr, U/Th and V/（V＋Ni） plus U were used to identify redox conditions. The shale-normalized rare earth element （REE） patterns are characterized by the flat-shale type with instable Ce anomalies and very weekly positive Eu anomalies. Positive Ceanom values are significant with values varying between - 0.064 and 0.029 in Biluo Co, which may be interpreted as release of REE and input of riverine terrestrial matter with rich Ce （resulting in pH change） during the anoxic conditions. In the middle parts of Amdo 114 station, distinct negative Ceanom values are observed （-0.238 to -0.111） and associated surface water warming were interpreted as being related to a major sea level rise. In contrast, the formation of the black shales in the lower and upper part of the studied succession took place during a cooler （Ceanom values 〉-0.10）, lower surface water productivity, and lower sea-level stage. Thus, we emphasize the role of different factors that control the formation of local and regional black shales. The most important factors are sea-level fluctuations and increasing productivity.

Evolution of the North Atlantic Current and Barents Ice Sheet as revealed by grain size populations in the northern Norwegian Sea during the last 60 ka

The grain size distribution of bulk sediment samples was decomposed in a core to reconstruct paleoceanographic evolution over the past 60 ka in the northern Norwegian Sea.The results show that sediments consisted of 3–4 grain populations derived from the North Atlantic Current(NAC)and Barents Ice Sheet(BIS).The grain size data suggest three palaeoceanographic evolution stages:(1)an environment affected by BIS and NAC and changed with the interstadial/stadial transition in phase with the Greenland ice-core record at 60–31 ka BP,during which discharge of icebergs and the content of the coarsest population containing ice-rafted debris(IRD)in the sediments increased significantly during stadial,while the fine silt population containing volcanic glasses increased with the enhancement of NAC during the interstadial;(2)an extreme environment controlled by BIS at31–13 ka BP.BIS reached to its maximum at about 31 ka BP and the turbid plumes that formed at the leading edge of BIS contributed to a significant increase in the clayey population in sediments.Icebergs drained into the northern Norwegian Sea with periodical calving of the BIS at 31–19 ka BP.Subsequently,the ablation of the BIS discharged massive floods with clayey sediments and icebergs into the Norwegian Sea at 19–13 ka BP,resulting in a constant increase in clay and IRD in sediments;and(3)a marine environment similar to the present one under the strong influence of NAC following the complete melting of the BIS after 13 ka BP,NAC is the dominant transport agent and no IRD occurred in sediments.The fine silt populations containing volcanic glasses transported by NAC significantly increased.

Upper Ocean Hydrology in the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool During the Late Holocene,Early Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum

We examined sediment samples from twenty-four stations in the Indo-Pacific warm pool(IPWP)region. Our objective is to provide a better understanding of changes in the IPWP and related tropical climatic phenomena such as East Asian-Australian monsoon and El Ni(?)o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO),through improving spatial coverage of proxy records.In order

Copper and zinc isotope variations in ferromanganese crusts and their isotopic fractionation mechanism

Ferromanganese(Fe-Mn)crusts are potential archives of the Cu and Zn isotope compositions of seawater through time.In this study,the Cu and Zn isotopes of the top surface of 28 Fe-Mn crusts and 2 Fe-Mn nodules were analysed by MC-ICP-MS using combined sample-standard bracketing for mass bias correction.The Zn isotope compositions of the top surface of Fe-Mn crusts are in the range of 0.71‰to 1.08‰,with a mean δ^(66)Zn value of 0.94‰±0.21‰(2 SD,n=28).The δ^(65)Cu values of the top surface of Fe-Mn crusts range from 0.33‰to0.73‰,with a mean value of 0.58‰±0.20‰(2 SD,n=28).The Cu isotope compositions of Fe-Mn crusts are isotopically lighter than that of dissolved Cu in deep seawater(0.58‰vs.0.9‰).In contrast,the δ^(66)Zn values of Fe-Mn crusts appear to be isotopically heavy compared to deep seawater(0.94‰±0.21‰vs.0.51‰±0.14‰).The isotope fractionation between Fe-Mn crusts and seawater is attributed to equilibrium partitioning between the sorption to crusts and the organic-ligand-bound Cu and Zn in seawater.The Cu and Zn isotopes in the top surface of Fe-Mn crusts are not a direct reflection of the Cu and Zn isotopes,but a function of Cu and Zn isotopes in modern seawater.This study proposes that Fe-Mn crusts have the potential to be archives for paleoceanography through Cu and Zn isotope analysis.

Paleoenvironmental implications of the calcium isotope characteristics in the MD81349 from the Nintyeast Ridge in the Indian Ocean

A δ^（44） Ca curve from shells of the planktonic foraminifera Globigerinoides sacculifer in calcareous biogenic oozes has been extracted from the Nintyeast Ridge in the Indian Ocean since 300 ka. By combining terrigenous inputs（e.g., grain size, magnetic susceptibility, and turbidite frequency） with the oceanic productivity（e.g., biogenic content and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei content）, it is found that the curve＇s variations are closely related to the historical evolution of the oceanic calcium cycle. The δ^（44）Ca value is in lower tendency and has small oscillation during Marine Isotope Stage（MIS） 6, when the supply of terrigenous detrital is highest. In contrast, during MIS 3,5 and 7, the δ^（44） Ca values are in higher tendency, and their fluctuations are consistent with the variations of the productivity proxies. These results suggest that the calcium isotopes are mainly influenced by the input of the Himalayan erosion products to the northern Indian Ocean. In addition, the developmental stages of calcareous planktons may have a secondary impact on the fluctuations of the calcium isotope ratio of sea water.

多金属结壳生长间断期与磷酸盐化事件的关系

磷酸盐化的发生会造成多金属结壳主要成矿元素的贫化,总体上抑制结壳的生长。磷酸盐化作用呈幕式在太平洋内发生,已有研究将其发生期次与多金属结壳中的磷酸盐化层位及其P、Ca等元素地球化学特征对应,为结壳的年代厘定提供证据。然而,由于磷酸盐化多次发生且在结壳多个层位中显现,首先需要厘定出较为可靠的多金属结壳年代框架,才能与磷酸盐化事件相互佐证。本研究通过定年范围较大,同时可以识别结壳中存在的生长间断的Co-Os法定年体系,为中、西太平洋6块多金属结壳定年,并参考肉眼识别的磷酸盐化矿化特征和地球化学特征佐证年代框架,同时分析磷酸盐化作用对结壳成矿的影响。39~34 Ma和27~21 Ma的两次大规模磷酸盐化期次全部对应多金属结壳的大规模间断期,而71 Ma、55 Ma和31 Ma等小规模磷酸盐化事件多数可在多金属结壳的层位和地球化学特征中识别,对应P和Ca百分含量的飙升和峰值特征。这一方面证实了磷酸盐化的发生整体抑制了结壳的生长,且具有广泛的影响范围和明确的时代区间,另一方面则佐证了多金属结壳年代框架的准确性。

Unraveling the Cenozoic carbon cycle by reconstructing carbonate compensation depth(CCD)

The Carbonate Compensation Depth(CCD)refers to the depth within the ocean where the production and dissolution rates of carbonates reach equilibrium,widely likened to the oceanic calcareous‘snowline’.The reconstruction of deep-time CCD has significant implications for understanding ocean circulation,seawater chemical conditions,sediment distribution,and the surface carbon cycle.This paper critically reviews the methods for CCD reconstruction,summarizes the driving mechanisms of the Cenozoic CCD evolution and its association with the carbon cycle,and offers insights into future directions for CCD research.CCD reconstruction has evolved over the past half century from early qualitative to quantitative methods.These methodological improvements have markedly improved the accuracy and resolution of CCD.Existing studies have indicated a general trend of the CCD deepening across major ocean basins since the Cenozoic,interspersed with a minor shallowing phase during the mid-Miocene.The variations in the CCD are primarily influenced by factors such as ocean productivity,weathering,and shelf-basin partitioning.During climate events such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum,the CCD exhibits pulselike fluctuations.Future research should focus on precision and quantification while integrating model simulations to further explore the correlations and response mechanisms between the CCD and the paleoclimate as well as the carbon cycle.

Neogene oxygen isotopic stratigraphy,ODP Site 1148,northern South China Sea

A detailed stable isotopic study based on benthic foraminifera from 1165 samples of ODP Site 1148 (18° 50.17.3’N, 116° 33.93’E, water depth 3308.3 m), northern South China Sea, provides an excellent oxygen isotopic record with an average resolution of 30 ka. It contains the most continuous δ18O data with highest resolution for the whole Neogene sequence in the world. The δ18O curve shows a step-like increasing upwards and records 5 increases, 3 decreases and 2 stable stages during the Neogene, reflecting the general trend of global cooling. Among these events the δ18O decrease at 17.2–14.5 Ma, and two δ18O increases at 14.5-13.6 and 3.0-2.4 Ma are most marked and globally comparable. The intervals at 13.6-10.2 and 6.0-3.0 Ma with the lowest-amplitude and least fluctuation in δ18O represent the most stable bottom water periods for the South China Sea.

Permo-Triassic paleogeographic,paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic evolutions in eastern Tethys and their coupling

Based on reconstructions of paleogeography, paleoclimate and paleoceanography of the Chihsian, Wujiapingian, Anisian and Norian intervals in the eastern Tethys, the multiple intrinsic relationship and interaction among the lithosphere, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere as well as their evolutions are discussed. It was demonstrated that paleogeographic change of the eastern Tethys and the northward shift of the Pangea during the Permo-Triassic periods governed the coeval paleocurrent pattern and its evolution, which in turn seems to be a key contributor forcing the Permo-Triassic megamonsoon to the climax.

Radiolarian transfer function for paleo-primary productivity in the South China Sea

Basic data of radiolarian group and primary productivity were from 46 investigation stations of the South China Sea. The factor analysis of principal component and the least squares estimation in both linear regression and nonlinear estimation were applied to establishing the radiolarian transfer function for paleo-primary productivity in this sea area. The results show that the transfer function of nonlinear regression analysis for the radiolarian assemblage and primary productivity has much better parameters. Factors analysis has accumulating variance of 83.6% and communalities of more than 0.940347. Nonlinear regression analysis gives multiple correlation coefficient as 0.84888 and explained variance as 72.059%. The equation of transfer function is with an average estimated error of about 53.778 mg·C/m^2·d, which is 14.69% in average observed values. Calculation accuracy is 85.31% for the system of transfer function.

A record of Miocene carbon excursions in the South China Sea

High-resolution δ13C records are presented for the Miocene benthic foraminifers Cibici doides wuellerstorfi and C. kullenbergi (24-5 Ma) and the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer (18-5 Ma) from ODP Site 1148A (18° 50.17′N, 116° 33.93′E, water depth 3308.3 m),northern South China Sea. The general pattern of parallel benthic and planktonic δ13C shows a decrease trend of δ13C values from the early-middle Miocene to the middle-late Miocene. Two dis tinct δ13C positive excursions at 23.1-22.2 and 17.3-13.6 Ma, and two negative excursions at 10.2-9.4 and 6.9-6.2 Ma have been recognized. All these events are cosmopolitan, providing the good data for the stratigraphic correlation of the South China Sea with the global oceans as well as for studying the changes of the global carbon reservoir and its corresponding climate.

Two types of hyperthermal events in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic:Environmental impacts, biotic effects, and driving mechanisms

A deeper understanding of hyperthermal events in the Earth’s history can provide an important scientific basis for understanding and coping with global warming in the Anthropocene. Two types of hyperthermal events are classified based on the characteristics of the carbon isotope excursion(CIE) of the five representative hyperthermal events in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The first type is overall characterized by negative CIEs(NCHE) and represented by the Permian-Triassic boundary event(PTB, ~252 Ma), the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event(TOAE, ~183 Ma), and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum event(PETM, ~56 Ma). The second type is overall characterized by positive CIEs(PCHE) and represented by the early Aptian oceanic anoxic event(OAE1 a, ~120 Ma) and the latest Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event(OAE2, ~94 Ma).Hyperthermal events of negative CIEs(NCHE), lead to dramatic changes in temperature, sedimentation, and biodiversity. These events caused frequent occurrence of terrestrial wildfires, extreme droughts, acid rain, destruction of ozone layer, metal poisoning(such as mercury), changes in terrestrial water system, and carbonate platform demise, ocean acidification, ocean anoxia in marine settings, and various degree extinction of terrestrial and marine life, especially in shallow marine. In contrast,hyperthermal events of positive CIEs(PCHE), result in rapid warming of seawater and widespread oceanic anoxia, large-scale burial of organic matter and associated black shale deposition, which exerted more significant impacts on deep-water marine life,but little impacts on shallow sea and terrestrial life. While PCHEs were triggered by volcanism associated with LIPs in deep-sea environment, the released heat and nutrient were buffered by seawater due to their eruption in the deep sea, thus exerted more significant impacts on deep-marine biota than on shallow marine and terrestrial biota. This work enriches the study of hyperthermal events in geological history, not only for the understanding of hyperthermal events themselves, large igneous provinces, marine and terrestrial environment changes, mass extinctions, but also for providing a new method to identify the types of hyperthermal events and the inference of their driving mechanism based on the characteristics of carbon isotopic excursions and geological records.

The Younger Dryas in the West Pacific marginal seas

The occurrence and nature of the Younger Dryas (YD) abrupt climatic event in the West Pacific marginal seas are discussed on the basis of 15 sediment cores. This event has been found in all these cores studied with a high-resolution stratigraphy and proved to be common to the West Pacific region. As shown by the isotopic and micropaleontologic analyses, the YD, dated by C-14 at about 11000 to 10000 a B.P., is a brief event of sea surface cooling in winter season following a fresh-water pulse about 12000 a B.P. The 'apparent regression' of the YD recorded in the Changjiang River delta and the Sea of Japan agrees with the interpretation that the YD is a period of slowed sea level rising between two phases of rapid rising. Both the winter surface water cooling and the increasing salinity in the YD imply a strengthening of the winter, but not summer monsoon circulation. This major climatic event in the marginal seas must have had profound impact on the adjacent continent.

Mechanisms and climatic-ecological effects of the Great Oxidation Event in the early Proterozoic

This paper briefly introduces the conception and research history of the Great Oxidation Event(GOE) in the early Paleoproterozoic and summarizes the primary geological and geochemical records of this event. On the basis of these, we overview the significant progress in three fields of the GOE: the timing and process of its startup, its mechanisms, and its climatic-ecological effects. The records of mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes suggest that the startup of the GOE might be multi-episodic, which is obviously inconsistent with the single-episodic opinion obtained from atmospheric model simulations. The fundamental mechanism of the GOE was the source of the atmospheric Oexceeding the sink, but it remains uncertain whether it was due to the increase in the source or the decrease in the sink. The GOE substantially affected the climate,biological evolution, and biogeochemical cycles, but the specific processes remain elusive. In consideration of the current progress, we propose four aspects for future explorations, including the construction of geological and geochemical proxies for extremely low atmospheric oxygen content(pO), how the GOE changed the evolutions of Earth’s habitability and the processes in deep Earth, and constraining the mechanism of the GOE by coupling geological events with different time scales.

Paleoceanographical records under impact of the Indian monsoon from the Bengal Deep Sea Fan and Ninetyeast Ridge during the last 260 ka

The orbital and interior climatic cycles can be found both in the Bengal Deep Sea Fan and Ninetyeast Ridge, North Indian Ocean. The periodicity of the Quaternary glacio-eustacy by 100 ka gave a strong impact on the sedimentation in the fan area and the monsoon signals controlled by the obliquity and precession were easily picked up. This paper discusses the possible correlation between the environmental elements on the basis of the ETP phase wheels. A rapid change with short-periods develops during the past 60 ka in the region under study as well. The variability of paleoproductivity has a nonlinear response to the Indian summer monsoon. As contrasted to the Northwest Indian Ocean, here an abundance of Globigerina bulloides, a proxy to indicate upwelling current, does not imply so much a promotion of the summer monsoon as its decrease. The record from the ridge area shows in a longer-scale a climatic evolutionary feature corresponding to that of the fan area. A special and great event arising at around 165 kaBP and meaning a catastrophe for ecological environment is reported in this paper. It is also regarded as a result induced by the monsoon.