Chemostratigraphy Across the Triassic–Jurassic Boundary

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

  • Korte, Christoph
  • Micha Ruhl
  • József Pálfy
  • Clemens Vinzenz Ullmann
  • Stephen Peter Hesselbo

The Triassic-Jurassic transition (~201.5Ma) is marked by one of the largest mass extinctions in Earth’s history. This was accompanied by significant perturbations in ocean and atmosphere geochemistry, including the global carbon cycle, as expressed by major fluctuations in carbon isotope ratios. Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) volcanism triggered environmental changes and played a key role in this biotic crisis. Biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic studies link the end-Triassic mass extinction with the early phases of CAMP volcanism, and notable mercury enrichments in geographically distributed marine and continental strata are shown to be coeval with the onset of the extrusive emplacement of CAMP. Sulfuric acid induced atmospheric aerosol clouds from subaerial CAMP volcanism can explain a brief, relatively cool seawater temperature pulse in the mid-paleolatitude Pan-European seaway across the T–J transition. The occurrence of CAMP-induced carbon degassing may explain the overall long-term shift toward much warmer conditions. The effect of CAMP volcanism on seawater87Sr/86Sr values might have been indirect by driving enhanced continental weathering intensity. Changes in ocean-atmosphere geochemistry and associated (causative) effects on paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental, and paleoceanographic conditions on local, regional, and global scales are however not yet fully constrained.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationGeophysical Monograph Series
Number of pages26
PublisherJohn Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Publication date2018
Pages185-210
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
SeriesGeophysical Monograph Series
Volume240
ISSN0065-8448

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank two anonymous reviewers for providing critical comments that helped to improve the quality of this review. This publication is MTA-MTM-ELTE Paleo contribution no. 259.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 the American Geophysical Union. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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