|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
| JOURNAL HOME | HELP | CONTACT PUBLISHER | SUBSCRIBE | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
13C depth profiles from paleosols across the Permian-Triassic boundary: Evidence for methane release
1 Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1272, USA
Stable carbon isotopic analyses of organic carbon (
13C) in individual paleosol profiles from Permian–Triassic sequences of Antarctica reveal systematic isotopic variations with profile depth. These variations are in many cases analogous to those in modern soils, which are functions of redox conditions, soil development, and degree and type of microbial decay. In modern soils, these isotopic depth functions develop independently from vegetation changes (C3 versus C4 vegetation) and can be diagnostic of soil orders. This study shows that soil-intrinsic functions can be preserved in the 13C values of paleosols as old as 260 Ma and constitute valuable data for paleoecological interpretations.
A large carbon isotopic offset of as much as 10
in whole paleosol profiles across the Permian-Triassic boundary indicates significant changes in the soil biogeochemistry and the soil-atmosphere system. Early Triassic paleosols are distinctive in their extremely low 13C values (to –42) and often show an anomalous 13C depth distribution compared to both Permian paleosols and modern soils. Highly depleted 13C values, as the ones in Early Triassic paleosols, are suggested to be associated with microbial methane oxidation (methanotrophy). This hypothesis implies increased methane concentrations in the Early Triassic soil-atmosphere system. Increased atmospheric methane was probably partly responsible for the global carbon isotopic shift documented in marine and terrestrial sediments across the Permian–Triassic boundary.
Key Words: boundary • carbon-13 • methane • paleosols • Permian • Triassic
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. M. Stanley Evidence from ammonoids and conodonts for multiple Early Triassic mass extinctions PNAS, September 8, 2009; 106(36): 15264 - 15267. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. L. Payne, D. J. Lehrmann, D. Follett, M. Seibel, L. R. Kump, A. Riccardi, D. Altiner, H. Sano, and J. Wei Erosional truncation of uppermost Permian shallow-marine carbonates and implications for Permian-Triassic boundary events: Reply Geological Society of America Bulletin, May 1, 2009; 121(5-6): 957 - 959. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. W. Castle and J. H. Rodgers Jr. Hypothesis for the role of toxin-producing algae in Phanerozoic mass extinctions based on evidence from the geologic record and modern environments Environmental Geosciences, March 1, 2009; 16(1): 1 - 23. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Long, M. A. Lovell, J. G. Rees, and C. A. Rochelle Sediment-hosted gas hydrates: new insights on natural and synthetic systems Geological Society, London, Special Publications, January 1, 2009; 319(1): 1 - 9. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K.M. Meyer, L.R. Kump, and A. Ridgwell Biogeochemical controls on photic-zone euxinia during the end-Permian mass extinction Geology, September 1, 2008; 36(9): 747 - 750. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C.L. Johnson, J.A. Amory, D. Zinniker, M.A. Lamb, S.A. Graham, M. Affolter, and G. Badarch Sedimentary response to arc-continent collision, Permian, southern Mongolia Geological Society of America Special Papers, January 1, 2008; 436(0): 363 - 390. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. M. Powers and D. J. Bottjer Bryozoan paleoecology indicates mid-Phanerozoic extinctions were the product of long-term environmental stress Geology, November 1, 2007; 35(11): 995 - 998. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. L. Payne, D. J. Lehrmann, D. Follett, M. Seibel, L. R. Kump, A. Riccardi, D. Altiner, H. Sano, and J. Wei Erosional truncation of uppermost Permian shallow-marine carbonates and implications for Permian-Triassic boundary events Geological Society of America Bulletin, July 1, 2007; 119(7-8): 771 - 784. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. W. Collinson, W. R. Hammer, R. A. Askin, and D. H. Elliot Permian-Triassic boundary in the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica Geological Society of America Bulletin, May 1, 2006; 118(5-6): 747 - 763. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. J. Retallack and E. S. Krull Carbon isotopic evidence for terminal-Permian methane outbursts and their role in extinctions of animals, plants, coral reefs, and peat swamps Geological Society of America Special Papers, January 1, 2006; 399(0): 249 - 268. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G.J. Retallack Earliest Triassic Claystone Breccias and Soil-Erosion Crisis Journal of Sedimentary Research, July 1, 2005; 75(4): 679 - 695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Mundil, K. R. Ludwig, I. Metcalfe, and P. R. Renne Age and Timing of the Permian Mass Extinctions: U/Pb Dating of Closed-System Zircons Science, September 17, 2004; 305(5691): 1760 - 1763. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. L. Payne, D. J. Lehrmann, J. Wei, M. J. Orchard, D. P. Schrag, and A. H. Knoll Large Perturbations of the Carbon Cycle During Recovery from the End-Permian Extinction Science, July 23, 2004; 305(5683): 506 - 509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. R. Basu, M. I. Petaev, R. J. Poreda, S. B. Jacobsen, and L. Becker Chondritic Meteorite Fragments Associated with the Permian-Triassic Boundary in Antarctica Science, November 21, 2003; 302(5649): 1388 - 1392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. Weidlich, W. Kiessling, and E. Flugel Permian-Triassic boundary interval as a model for forcing marine ecosystem collapse by long-term atmospheric oxygen drop Geology, November 1, 2003; 31(11): 961 - 964. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. J. Retallack, R. M.H. Smith, and P. D. Ward Vertebrate extinction across Permian-Triassic boundary in Karoo Basin, South Africa Geological Society of America Bulletin, September 1, 2003; 115(9): 1133 - 1152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. D. Sheldon and G. J. Retallack REPLY Geology, June 1, 2003; 31(6): e21 - e21. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Permian-Triassic Boundary Sections from Shallow-Marine Carbonate Platforms of the Nanpanjiang Basin, South China: Implications for Oceanic Conditions Associated with the End-Permian Extinction and Its Aftermath Palaios, April 1, 2003; 18(2): 138 - 152.
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. D. Sheldon and G. J. Retallack Low oxygen levels in earliest Triassic soils: Comment and Reply: REPLY Geology, January 1, 2003; 31(1): e20 - e21. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. D. Sheldon and G. J. Retallack Low oxygen levels in earliest Triassic soils Geology, October 1, 2002; 30(10): 919 - 922. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Berner Examination of hypotheses for the Permo-Triassic boundary extinction by carbon cycle modeling PNAS, April 2, 2002; 99(7): 4172 - 4177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. J. Beerling, M. R. Lomas, and D. R. Grocke On the nature of methane gas-hydrate dissociation during the Toarcian and Aptian Oceanic anoxic events Am J Sci, January 1, 2002; 302(1): 28 - 49. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. M.H. Smith and P. D. Ward Pattern of vertebrate extinctions across an event bed at the Permian-Triassic boundary in the Karoo Basin of South Africa Geology, December 1, 2001; 29(12): 1147 - 1150. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Kimura and Y. Watanabe Oceanic anoxia at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary Geology, November 1, 2001; 29(11): 995 - 998. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Palfy, A. Demeny, J. Haas, M. Hetenyi, M. J. Orchard, and I. Veto Carbon isotope anomaly and other geochemical changes at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary from a marine section in Hungary Geology, November 1, 2001; 29(11): 1047 - 1050. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. J. Twitchett, C. V. Looy, R. Morante, H. Visscher, and P. B. Wignall Rapid and synchronous collapse of marine and terrestrial ecosystems during the end-Permian biotic crisis Geology, April 1, 2001; 29(4): 351 - 354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Berner Examination of hypotheses for the Permo-Triassic boundary extinction by carbon cycle modeling PNAS, April 2, 2002; 99(7): 4172 - 4177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| JOURNAL HOME | HELP | CONTACT PUBLISHER | SUBSCRIBE | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
