Latest Permian mercury anomalies

Sanei, Hamed; Grasby, Stephen E.; Beauchamp, Benoı̂t

doi:10.1130/g32596.1

Cited by 313 publications

(298 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…However, one of the challenges that remains is to fi nd a primary marker for the volcanism within these same archives, allowing a clear causal relationship to the environmental perturbation to be developed, rather than purely markers indicating environmental change. Recent efforts in this area have included the use of osmium isotopes (Ravizza and Peucker-Ehrenbrink, 2003;Robinson et al, 2009) and mercury (Sanei et al, 2012;Silva et al, 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

Emplacement characteristics, time scales, and volcanic gas release rates of continental flood basalt eruptions on Earth

Self¹,

Schmidt²,

Mather³

2014

Volcanism, Impacts, and Mass Extinctions: Causes and Effects

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Continental fl ood basalt provinces are the subaerial expression of large igneous province volcanism. The emplacement of a continental fl ood basalt is an exceptional volcanic event in the geological history of our planet with the potential to directly impact Earth's atmosphere and environment. Large igneous province volcanism appears to have occurred episodically every 10-30 m.y. through most of Earth history. Most continental fl ood basalt provinces appear to have formed within 1-3 m.y., and within this period, one or more pulses of great magma production and lava eruption took place. These pulses may have lasted from 1 m.y. to as little as a few hundred thousand years. Within these pulses, tens to hundreds of volumetrically large eruptions took place, each producing 10 3 -10 4 km 3 of predominantly pāhoehoe lava and releasing unprecedented amounts of volcanic gases and ash into the atmosphere. The majority of magmatic gas species released had the potential to alter climate and/or atmospheric composition, in particular during violent explosive phases at the eruptive vents when volcanic gases were lofted into the stratosphere. Aside from the direct release of magmatic gases, magma-sediment interactions featured in some continental fl ood basalt provinces could have released additional carbon, sulfur, and halogen-bearing species into the atmosphere. Despite their potential importance, given the different nature of the country rock associated with each continental fl ood basalt province, it is diffi cult to make generalizations about these emissions from one province to another. The coincidence of continental fl ood basalt volcanism with periods of major biotic change is well substantiated, but the actual mechanisms by which *steve

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confidence: 99%

Emplacement characteristics, time scales, and volcanic gas release rates of continental flood basalt eruptions on Earth

Self¹,

Schmidt²,

Mather³

2014

Volcanism, Impacts, and Mass Extinctions: Causes and Effects

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“…The largest volcanic eruption in Earth history, the Siberian Traps, combined with 517 combustion of organics in the Tunguska Basin, would have had an extremely high metal loading 518 rate that far exceeds normal background. As an example (Sanei et al, 2012) calculated a Hg 519 loading rates from the Siberian Traps that would be 4x above modern anthropogenic emissions, 520 assuming a 500 ky eruption period. Similar estimates for other metal fluxes can be made based 521 on the metal/S ratio for modern volcanic emissions (Nriagu, 1989), and estimates of total SO 2 522 release of 3.8 × 10…”

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confidence: 99%

Progressive environmental deterioration in northwestern Pangea leading to the latest Permian extinction

Grasby

Beauchamp

Bond

et al. 2015

Geological Society of America Bulletin

111

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25Stratigraphic records from northwestern Pangea provide unique insight into global processes 26 that occurred during the Latest Permian Extinction (LPE). We examined a detailed geochemical 27 record of the Festningen Section, Spitsbergen. A stepwise extinction is noted: 1) loss of 28 carbonate shelly macrofauna, 2) loss of siliceous sponges in conjunction with an abrupt change 29 in ichnofabrics as well as dramatic change in the terrestrial environment, and 3) final loss of all 30 trace fossils. We interpret loss of carbonate producers as related to higher latitude shoaling of 31 the lysocline in relationship to building atmospheric CO 2 in higher latitiudes The loss of siliceous 32 sponges is coincident the global LPE event and is related to onset of high loading rates of toxic 33 metals (Hg, As, Co) that we suggest are derived from Siberian Trap eruptions. The final 34 extinction stage is coincident with redox sensitive trace metal and other proxy data which 35 suggest onset of anoxia, after the other extinction events. These results show a remarkable 36 record of progressive environmental deterioration in NW Pangea during the extinction crises. 37

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“…Sanei et al 17 demonstrated that the Siberian Trap eruption, the largest LIP in the geologic record and also associated with the largest Phanerozoic extinction event, left a characteristic mercury spike as a fingerprint in the rock record. Subsequent work has confirmed Hg spikes associated with other LIP events associated with mass extinction intervals [18][19][20][21][22][23] .…”

Section: Mercury As a Proxy For Lip Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Organic matter (OM) has a strong capacity for 1 absorbing dissolved Hg in marine conditions 21 , whereby Hg deposited in the ocean through wet and dry fall is mainly captured by OM and sequestered into sediments through geologic time. Excess mercury flux to the environment during periods of major volcanic eruption can overwhelm this natural system, creating a mercury spike relative to total organic carbon (TOC) in the rock record 17 , as a key indicator of massive volcanism. Hg stable isotope data can further verify a volcanic source of Hg spikes 20,24 .…”

Section: Mercury As a Proxy For Lip Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous work has shown that catastrophic volcanism releases huge volumes of Hg into the atmosphere, dominantly from volcanic emissions and also in some cases a minor additional component from organic combustion when lavas intrude through sedimentary basins 22,50 . Subsequent Hg deposition from air into marine environments can overwhelm the normal organic buffering of Hg, leading to spikes in the Hg/TOC ratio in the rock record 17,21 . As such, we argue that the two Hg spikes we observe, that are temporally coincident with the two main O-S extinction pulses, represent enhanced Hg loading to marine environments due to greatly increased volcanic activity.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Mercury Spikes Suggest Volcanic Driver of the Ordovician-Silurian Mass Extinction

Qing¹,

Zhao²,

Wang³

et al. 2017

Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs

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The second largest Phanerozoic mass extinction occurred at the Ordovician-Silurian (O-S) boundary. However, unlike the other major mass extinction events, the driver for the O-S extinction remains uncertain. The abundance of mercury (Hg) and total organic carbon (TOC) of Ordovician and early Silurian marine sediments were analyzed from four sections (Huanghuachang, Chenjiahe, Wangjiawan and Dingjiapo) in the Yichang area, South China, as a test for evidence of massive volcanism associated with the O-S event. Our results indicate the Hg concentrations generally vary in parallel with TOC, and that the Hg/TOC ratios remain low and steady state through the Early and Middle Ordovician. However, Hg concentrations and the Hg/TOC ratio increased rapidly in the Late Katian, and have a second peak during the Late Hirnantian (Late Ordovician) that was temporally coincident with two main pulses of mass extinction. Hg isotope data display little to no variation associated with the Hg spikes during the extinction intervals, indicating that the observed Hg spikes are from a volcanic source. These results suggest intense volcanism occurred during the Late Ordovician, and as in other Phanerozoic extinctions, likely played an important role in the O-S event.Refinements in radio-isotopic dating techniques has demonstrated a strong temporal link between Large Igneous Province (LIP) volcanism and four out of the five largest mass extinctions in the Phanerozoic, leading to suggestions that LIP events have devastating effects on global ecosystems that in some ways mirrors concerns over modern anthropogenic impacts on the planet [1][2][3][4] . The one anomaly is the Ordovician-Silurian (O-S) mass extinction, the second largest of the "Big Five" extinctions. In terms of species loss the O-S represented about 86% of marine life 5,6 , including the elimination of graptolites 7-9 and brachiopods 10, 11 . The triggering mechanism of the O-S mass extinction has been extensively debated, and various hypotheses have been proposed, including gamma ray burst and bolide impact 12,13 ; however, the cause still remains highly controversial. Intense Late Ordovician volcanism was also suggested as a potential extinction mechanism 14,15 , although no clear geologic record of a Late Ordovician LIP event has been demonstrated. The age of the event makes it possible that any geologic record has been lost 15 . Given this, we tested for indirect evidence of volcanism at the O-S extinction boundary by examining the Hg record from classic sections in south China. Here we show that significant spikes in Hg concentrations occur at the O-S extinction, along with Hg stable isotope data that indicate a volcanic source for these spikes. We suggest that this reflects Hg loading by a LIP event. If correct, these results demonstrate that LIP events have indeed played a critical role in the evolution of life through time. Mercury as a Proxy for LIP eventsVolcanic eruptions are the main natural source of Hg to the environment 16 . Sanei et al. 17 demonstrated that th...

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Latest Permian mercury anomalies

Cited by 313 publications

References 31 publications

Emplacement characteristics, time scales, and volcanic gas release rates of continental flood basalt eruptions on Earth

Emplacement characteristics, time scales, and volcanic gas release rates of continental flood basalt eruptions on Earth

Progressive environmental deterioration in northwestern Pangea leading to the latest Permian extinction

Mercury Spikes Suggest Volcanic Driver of the Ordovician-Silurian Mass Extinction

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