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GSA Bulletin; May 2001; v. 113; no. 5; p. 650-658; DOI: 10.1130/0016-7606(2001)113<0650:SIVITN>2.0.CO;2
© 2001 Geological Society of America
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Stable isotope variations in the Neoproterozoic Beck Spring Dolomite and Mesoproterozoic Mescal Limestone paleokarst: Implications for life on land in the Precambrian

Ray Kenny*,1 and L. Paul Knauth{dagger},2

1 Environmental Geology Program, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701, USA
2 Department of Geology, Box 871404, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1404, USA

Proterozoic karst events lowered {delta}13C values by as much as 11{per thousand} for the 800 Ma Beck Spring Dolomite, California, and as much as 8.5{per thousand} for the 1.1 Ga Mescal Limestone, central Arizona, relative to the originally deposited carbonate. The 13C changes are attributed to input of 13C-depleted organic CO2 derived from photosynthetic organisms that colonized the ancient land surface. The large isotopic shift and its presence at two separate localities suggest that Proterozoic karst surfaces were colonized by significant photosynthetic communities with phytomasses possibly approaching those of today.

Key Words: carbonate • Mesoproterozoic • Neoproterozoic • paleokarst • stable isotopes • terrestrial environment




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