No biological effect on magnesium isotope fractionation during stromatolite growth

Hu, Zhongya; Hohl, Simon V.; Viehmann, Sebastian; Meister, Patrick; Tepe, Nathalie

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2023.07.022

Cited by 13 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Wang et al (2020) suggested a travertine-related origin for the Cretaceous lacustrine dolomite in the Tianshan Mountains and proposed that strong evaporation promoted dolomitization and significant Mg isotope fractionation. Moreover, laboratory experiments and field observations have revealed negligible Mg isotope fractionation in biotic carbonates such as stromatolite and hydromagnesite (Hu et al, 2023;Mavromatis et al, 2012;Shirokova et al, 2013). Thus, Mg isotopes may place critical constraints on the origin of the carbonates and the associated paleoenvironment and paleoclimate conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnesium Isotopes of Carbonate Reveal Seasonal Climate Variation in the Central East Asia During the Middle Eocene

Zhu,

Hu,

et al. 2024

Geophysical Research Letters

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It is debated whether there was strong climate seasonality during the Eocene, which provides a close geological analogy for near‐future scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions. Lithological data suggest the existence of a broad arid zone centered around 30°N paleo‐latitude, while a humid climate was supported by palaeobotanic assemblages in East Asia. Here, we report the occurrence of massive primary lacustrine dolomite and magnesite in the central East Asia during the middle Eocene. We provide a novel perspective from magnesium isotopes to link the formation of Mg‐carbonates to seasonal dry‐wet cycles. Rapid magnesium input during the rainy season and intense evaporation in the dry season likely caused the formation of magnesium carbonates in an enclosed lake. These findings provide insights into hydroclimatic seasonality during the Eocene, contributing to our understanding of the hydrological cycle response to a greenhouse climate.

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