济阳坳陷奥陶系碳酸盐岩及缝洞充填方解石C、O同位素特征及其意义

对济阳坳陷奥陶系碳酸盐原岩及孔洞缝中充填方解石进行了C、O同位素测定,结果表明孔洞缝充填方解石的δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O值比原岩偏负。奥陶系三山子组和马家沟组孔缝中充填的方解石C、O同位素演化有很大区别,前者的δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O值均为负值,δ¹³C向较高负值偏移,δ¹⁸O值向较低负值偏移;马家沟组八陡段孔缝充填方解石的δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O值也多为负值,δ¹³C向较正值方向偏移,δ¹⁸O值向较高负值偏移。奥陶系碳酸盐岩孔缝充填方解石形成于大气淡水环境和埋藏成岩环境,次生孔洞可能主要形成于早期表生阶段,裂缝形成于中-新生代的构造运动,方解石主要充填于埋藏环境中。次生孔缝的主要形成时期早于油气大量运移期,对古潜山油藏的形成有利。     

Isotopic constraints on growth conditions of multiphase calcite–pyrite–barite concretions in Carboniferous mudstones

Carbonate concretions in the Lower Carboniferous Caton Shale Formation contain diagenetic pyrite, calcite and barite in the concretion matrix or in different generations of septarian fissures. Pyrite was formed by sulphate reduction throughout the sediment before concretionary growth, then continued to form mainly in the concretion centres. The septarian calcites show a continuous isotopic trend from δ¹³C=?28·7‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?1·6‰ PDB through to δ¹³C=?6·9‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?14·6‰ PDB. This trend arises from (1) a carbonate source initially from sulphate reduction, to which was added increasing contributions of methanogenic carbonate; and (2) burial/temperature effects or the addition of isotopically light oxygen from meteoric water. The concretionary matrix carbonates must have at least partially predated the earliest septarian cements, and thus used the same carbonate sources. Consequently, their isotopic composition (δ¹³C=?12·0 to ?10·1‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?5·7 to ?5·6‰ PDB) can only result from mixing a carbonate cement derived from sulphate reduction with cements containing increasing proportions of carbonate from methanogenesis and, directly or indirectly, also from skeletal carbonate. Concretionary growth was therefore pervasive, with cements being added progressively throughout the concretion body during growth. The concretions contain barite in the concretion matrix and in septarian fissures. Barite in the earlier matrix phase has an isotopic composition (δ³⁴S=+24·8‰ CDT and δ¹⁸O=+16·4‰ SMOW), indicating formation from near‐surface, sulphate‐depleted porewaters. Barites in the later septarian phase have unusual isotopic compositions (δ³⁴S=+6 to +11‰ CDT and δ¹⁸O=+8 to +11‰ SMOW), which require the late addition of isotopically light sulphate to the porewaters, either from anoxic sulphide oxidation (using ferric iron) or from sulphate dissolved in meteoric water. Carbon isotope and biomarker data indicate that oil trapped within septarian fissures was derived from the maturation of kerogen in the enclosing sediments.     

Climatic and tectonic controls on carbonate deposition in syn‐rift siliciclastic fluvial systems: A case of microbialites and associated facies in the Late Jurassic

This work provides new insights to assess the factors controlling carbonate deposition in the siliciclastic fluvial systems of rift basins. Sedimentological and stable‐isotope data of microbialites and associated carbonate facies, along with regional geological information, are shown to reveal the influence of climate and tectonics on the occurrence and attributes of carbonate deposits in these settings. The Vega Formation – a 150 m thick Lower Kimmeridgian siliciclastic fluvial sequence in Asturias Province (northern Spain) – constitutes a candidate for this approach. This unit includes varied facies (stromatolites; rudstones, packstones and wackestones containing oncoids, intraclasts, charophytes and shell bioclasts; marlstones and polygenic calcareous conglomerates) that formed in a low‐gradient fluvial–lacustrine system consisting of shallow, low‐sinuosity oncoid‐bearing channels and pools within marshy areas, with sporadic coarse alluvial deposition. The sedimentological attributes indicate common erosion by channel overflow and rapid lateral changes of subenvironments caused by water‐discharge variations. The carbonate fluvial–lacustrine system developed near uplifted marine Jurassic rocks. The occurrence of the system was conditioned by normal faults (active during the deposition of the unit) that favoured: (i) springs of HCO₃–Ca‐rich water from a Rhaetian–Sinemurian carbonate rock aquifer; and (ii) carbonate deposition in areas partially isolated from the adjacent siliciclastic fluvial system. The microbialite δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values support deposition in a hydrologically open system, fed by ambient‐temperature meteoric water, with riparian vegetation. Three types of lamination in the stromatolites and oncoids reflect distinct morphological types of cyanobacterial communities. The textural pattern of lamination parallels δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O changes, suggesting short‐term cycles of precipitation and temperature. A moderately to strongly contrasted seasonal and/or pluriannual precipitation regime is inferred from the cyclic δ¹³C pattern of the lamination and from the discontinuous and asymmetrical growth of oncoids. Thus, the isotopic and sedimentological attributes of the carbonate deposits were linked to short‐term climate changes associated with semi‐arid conditions, consistent with the studied climatic zone.     

Groundwater recharge and evolution in the Dunhuang Basin,northwestern China

Groundwater recharge and evolution in the Quaternary aquifer beneath the Dunhuang Basin was investigated using chemical indicators, stable isotopes, and radiocarbon data to provide guidance for regional water management. The quality of groundwater and surface water is generally good with low salinity and it is unpolluted. The dissolution of halite and sylvite from fine-grained sediments controls concentrations of Na⁺ and K⁺ in the groundwater, but Na⁺/Cl⁻ molar ratios >1 in all samples are also indicative of weathering of feldspar contributing to excess Na⁺. The dissolution of carbonate minerals yields Ca²⁺ to the groundwater, thereby exerting a strong influence on groundwater salinity. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H values in unconfined groundwater are enriched along the groundwater flow path from SW to NE. In contrast, confined groundwater was depleted in heavy isotopes, with mean values of −10.4‰ δ¹⁸O and −74.4‰ δ²H. Compared with the precipitation values, all of the groundwater samples were strongly depleted in heavy isotopes, indicating that modern direct recharge to the groundwater aquifers in the plains area is quite limited. The unconfined water is generally young with radiocarbon values of 64.9–79.6 pmc. In the northern basin, radiocarbon content in the confined groundwater is less than 15 pmc and an uncorrected age of ∼15 ka, indicates that this groundwater was recharged during a humid climatic phases of the late Pleistocence or early Holocene. The results have important implications for inter-basin water allocation programmes and groundwater management in the Dunhuang Basin.     

An alternative model for positive shifts in shallow-marine carbonate δ13C and δ18O

Abstract Positive shifts in global seawater δ¹³C_DIC are related to changes in the ratio of organic relative to inorganic carbon burial in oceanic basins, whereas factors such as climatic cooling and the accumulation of polar ice are known to cause positive shifts in δ¹⁸O. Here, an alternative model is proposed for the formation of local positive isotope shifts in shallow-marine settings. The model involves geochemically altered platform-top water masses and the effects of early meteoric diagenesis on carbonate isotopic composition. Both mechanisms are active on modern (sub)tropical carbonate platforms and result in low carbonate δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O relative to typical oceanic values. During high-amplitude transgressive events, the impact of isotopically light meteoric fluids on the carbonate geochemistry is much reduced, and ¹³C-depleted platform-top water mixes with open oceanic water masses having higher isotope values. Both factors are recorded as a transient increase in carbonate ¹³C and ¹⁸O relative to low background values. These processes must be taken into consideration when interpreting the geochemical record of ancient epeiric seas.     

Carbon,oxygen, and sulfur isotope compositions and model of the Silurian rock formation in northwestern Belarus

The paper describes the results of study of the Silurian clayey–carbonate rocks ranging from the Telychian Stage (Llandovery) to the Gorstian Stage (Ludlow) recovered by the Borehole Davtyuny 3k in northwestern Belarus. Rocks of the Sheinwoodian Stage demonstrate a positive excursion of δ¹³C with amplitude of 4.7‰, marking the Ireviken biotic event recorded in the global chemostratigraphic curve. Values of δ¹⁸O for the carbonate material in the studied section (25.5–29.2‰ SMOW) are close to those for Silurian rocks from the Baltic region, Scandinavia, Ukraine, Poland, and Canada. The whole section contains postsedimentary gypsum as nodules and the infilling of fissures and fenestrae. Values of δ³⁴S in gypsum (21.3–26.7‰ CDT) are close to those for the Silurian rocks on the Phanerozoic isotope plot. The formation of gypsum was related to a partial development of the supralittoral environment over the sublittoral and littoral clayey–carbonate substrate. The seawater accumulated in lowlands of the supralittoral plain after storms was intensely concentrated during arid conditions and accumulated in the clayey–carbonate sediment. The subsequent underground evaporation promoted the formation of gypsum as nodules in the unlithified sediments and the infilling of fissures and fenestrae in the lithified rocks.     

Environmental setting, (micro)morphologies and stable C–O isotope composition of cold climate carbonate precipitates—a review and evaluation of their potential as paleoclimatic proxies

Given the growing interest in carbonate deposits from polar regions as paleoclimatic proxies, this review paper first provides a classification of the various types of cold-climate carbonate precipitates followed by a summary of the ¹³C and ¹⁸O composition of the carbonate deposits and parent water from which the carbonates precipitated. The cold-climate carbonate precipitates were classified into three broad categories: powders, crusts and speleothem. The carbonate powders include those that precipitated in relation to aufeis aggradation (cryogenic aufeis calcite) and in relation to the growth of various annual/perennial ice formations in freezing caves (cryptocrystalline calcite and calcite pearls). The carbonate crusts can be further subdivided based on their lithic environment; those that precipitated on the upper surface of bedrock/clasts (i.e. subglacially precipitated calcite and evaporative calcite crusts); those that are located on the underside of clasts (i.e. pedogenic carbonates); and those that precipitated in rock outcrop fissures (i.e. endostromatolites). The cold-climate carbonate precipitates have a highly variable isotopic composition with δ¹⁸O values ranging between −6.5‰ and 28‰ VSMOW and δ¹³C values in the −10–20‰ VPDB range. However, each type of carbonate precipitates has a specific δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O range, suggesting that their environmental setting and the mechanism by which they formed controls their ¹³C and ¹⁸O signature. It was found that carbonate deposits that precipitated under equilibrium physico-chemical conditions had a δ¹³C value that is in equilibrium with that of the parent water, while its δ¹⁸O composition was more variable, as it is in part controlled by the temperature of reaction and by the δ¹⁸O and calcite saturation state of the parent water. By contrast, the δ¹⁸O composition of biologically precipitated carbonate deposits (endostromatolites) reflect that of the parent water, while its δ¹³C composition was enriched over that of the parent water due to bacterial methanogenesis. In the case of kinetically precipitated carbonate deposits, the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values are out-of-equilibrium relative to that of the parent water due to the faster rate of reaction.     

A 16-Ma record of paleodiet using carbon and oxygen isotopes in fossil teeth from Pakistan

The Siwalik Sequence of northern Pakistan contains a 16-Ma record of paleosol carbonate and fossil teeth from which a record of paleovegetation can potentially be reconstructed and compared. The carbon isotopic composition of paleosol carbonate and organic matter from Siwalik strata reflects a major paleoecological change on the floodplains of major rivers beginning7.3 Ma ago. By 6 Ma C₃-dominated plant communities, probably composed of mostly trees and shrubs, were displaced by nearly continuous C₄ grassland. We find that the carbon isotopic ratios in herbivore tooth enamel reflect this dramatic ecologic shift. Carbonate in enamel older than 7 Ma averages −11‰ in δ¹³C_PDB, consistent with a largely C₃ diet. Enamel from the Plio-PIeistocene averages +1.9‰ in δ¹³C, similar to the value displayed by modern C₄ grazers. Analysis of post-burial carbonate cements, and the concordance with isotopic evidence from paleosols argues strongly against major isotopic alteration of the enamel, while coexisting bone may have been altered early in burial. This study confirms that enamel apatite is useful for paleodietary reconstruction much further back in the geologic record than was previously thought.     

Changing moisture sources over the last 330,000 years in Northern Oman from fluid-inclusion evidence in speleothems

Speleothems from Hoti Cave in northern Oman provide a record of continental pluvial periods over the last 330,000 yr. Periods of rapid speleothem deposition occurred from 6000 to 10,500, 78,000 to 82,000, 120,000 to 135,000, 180,000 to 200,000, and 300,000 to 330,000 yr ago, with little or no growth during the intervening periods. During each of these five pluvial periods, δD values of water extracted from speleothem fluid inclusions (δD_FI) are between −60 and −20‰ (VSMOW) and δ¹⁸O values of speleothem calcite (δ¹⁸O_C) are between −12 and −4‰ to (VPDB). These values are much more negative than modern rainfall (for δD) or modern stalagmites (for δ¹⁸O). Previous work on the isotopic composition of rainfall in Oman has shown that northern and southern moisture sources are isotopically distinct. Combined measurements of the δD values of fluid-inclusion water with calculated δ¹⁸O values from peak interglacial speleothems indicate that groundwater was predominantly recharged by the southern (Indian Ocean) moisture source, when the monsoon rainfall belt moved northward and reached Northern Oman during each of these periods.     

Oxygen and carbon isotope measurements of land snail shell carbonate

δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O analyses have been performed on the aragonite shells of a variety of modern land snails from a number of different geographic and climatic locales. The δ¹⁸O values of the waters assumed to be in isotopic equilibrium with the shell carbonate were calculated. These calculated δ¹⁸O values are more positive than the δ¹⁸O values of the average meteoric waters in the locales in which the snails lived. The ¹⁸O enrichment appears to be linearly related to the reciprocal of the local relative humidity, which is consistent with the notion that these ambient waters have undergone isotopic steady-state evaporation. Measurements of the δ¹⁸O values of ancient land snail shells from the excavation of Sudden Shelter (42SV6) at Ivie Creek, Utah, suggest that the climate at this site was probably warmer and/or drier around 7100–7800 BP than at present.     

Oxygen isotope ratios in fossil wood cellulose: Isotopic composition of Eocene- to Holocene-aged cellulose

We measured the δ¹⁸O of cellulose (δ¹⁸O_cel) extracted from fossil wood collected at 9 sites in the northern and southern hemispheres as a potential source of information about precipitation δ¹⁸O (δ¹⁸O_ppt) in the past and paleotemperatures. The samples had been buried in fluvial sediments for periods of time ranging from ca. 45 million to 250 years. At the oldest localities (high latitude, Eocene- through Pliocene-age sites in Canada and Russia), mean annual temperature (MAT) estimates derived from the modern relationship between MAT and δ¹⁸O_cel are 6-16 °C lower than the MAT estimates derived from other biological proxies. Estimates of Pleistocene and Holocene mean annual temperatures are close to the modern values at those sites. These results are consistent with other recent findings that the MAT/δ¹⁸O_ppt relationship across North America was not constant throughout the Cenozoic. Paleo-δ¹⁸O_ppt estimates derived from fossil cellulose and the modern North American relationship between δ¹⁸O_cel and δ¹⁸O_ppt are within the current annual range of δ¹⁸O_ppt values at all locations. The middle Eocene δ¹⁸O_ppt we determined from arctic cellulose samples (−21.9‰) is consistent with river water δ¹⁸O determined in two other studies (−19.1‰ to −22‰). These findings provide some evidence that a precipitation δ¹⁸O signal may be retained in wood cellulose during millions of years of burial, and that latitudinal patterns in δ¹⁸O_ppt may not have changed much during the past 45 Ma. These interpretations depend, of course, on the assumption that the isotopic composition of the cellulose has not changed during burial, an assumption for which it is difficult to gather direct evidence. XRD analysis shows that the crystalline form of the fossil cellulose we used to estimate paleoprecipitation δ¹⁸O and paleo-MAT is the same as that of modern cellulose, and that the samples are free of quartz and iron oxide contaminants that result in negative errors in measured δ¹⁸O_cel.     

Lithofacies associations and stable isotopes of palustrine and calcrete carbonates: examples from an Indian Maastrichtian regolith

Detailed information on semi‐arid, palustrine carbonate–calcrete lithofacies associations in a sheetwash‐dominated regolith setting is sparse. This is addressed by studying the Lower Limestone of the Lameta Beds, a well‐exposed Maastrichtian regolith in central India. The general vertical lithofacies assemblage for this unit comprises: (a) basal calcareous siltstones and marls with charophytes, ostracods and gastropods; (b) buff micritic limestones associated in their upper parts with calcretized fissure‐fill sandstones; (c) sheetwash as fissure‐fill diamictites and thin pebbly sheets, locally developed over a few metres; and (d) sandy, nodular, brecciated and pisolitic calcretes at the top. The sequence is ‘regressive’, with upsection filling of topographic lows by increased sheetwash. Lateral lithofacies change is marked, but there are no permanent open‐water lake deposits. In topographic lows close to the water table, marshy palustrine or groundwater calcretes formed, whereas on better drained highs, brecciation and calcretization occurred. Prolonged exposure is implied, suggesting that shrinkage was the main cause of brecciation. Evidence for rhizobrecciation and other biological calcrete fabrics is sparse, contrasting with the emphasis on root‐related brecciation in many studies of palustrine lithofacies. Stable isotope (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) values are consistent with the palustrine limestones being fed from meteoric‐derived groundwater with a strong input of soil‐zone carbon. There is overlap of both δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values from the various palustrine and calcrete fabrics co‐occurring at outcrop. This suggests that, in groundwater‐supported wetlands, conversion from palustrine carbonate to calcrete need not show isotopic expression, as the groundwater source and input of soil‐zone carbon are essentially unchanged. Cretaceous–Tertiary δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values from palustrine lithofacies and associated calcretes appear to be strongly influenced by the inherited values from lakes and wetlands. Hydrologically closed lakes and marine‐influenced water bodies tend to result in low negative palustrine δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values. During brecciation and calcretization, the degree of isotopic inheritance depends on whether or not alteration occurs in waters that are different from those of the original water body or wetland. Marked biological activity (e.g. rhizobrecciation or root mat development) during calcretization may lower δ¹³C values where C₃ plants are abundant but, in shrinkage‐dominated systems, δ¹³C values will be largely inherited from the palustrine limestones.     

Stable oxygen isotope and pollen records from eastern Scotland and a consideration of Late-glacial and early Holocene climate change for Europe

The presence of marl deposits belonging to the Lateglacial period in a former lake basin at Lundin Tower in Fife, Scotland has allowed palaeoenvironmental investigations by means of carbonate δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O, and organic matter δ¹³C, in addition to palynology. The variations that emerge reveal strong similarities between the pollen and isotope records and these are interpreted as reflecting climatic shifts. The classic Late-glacial pattern of Oldest Dryas–Bølling–Older Dryas–Allerød–Younger Dryas may be evident and other climatic oscillations are shown to have occurred not only during the Allerød but also in the Preboreal. The problem of the time discordance between isotopic change and pollen representation is addressed through explanations involving lags in plant colonization. A comparison of the δ¹⁸O records from 43 sites across Europe reveals two different regional patterns, which raises fundamental questions over the nature of Late-glacial palaeoclimates.     

Authigenic calcium carbonate flux in groundwater-controlled lakes: Implications for lacustrine paleoclimate records

Groundwater dominated lakes are an important feature of many landscapes. Their sediments are a particularly valuable source of paleoenvironmental information in semiarid regions where perennial lakes may otherwise be scarce. Where groundwater and lake composition are favorable, carbonate mineral precipitation, evaporative concentration of lake water, and microbial processes can combine to strongly deplete dissolved Ca relative to influent groundwaters. The authigenic carbonate flux (ACF) can then become limited by water column cation availability and thereby be coupled to groundwater inflow rates and aquifer recharge. Here we analyze sedimentary records from two marl-producing, groundwater-controlled lakes and demonstrate a link between one-dimensional ACF and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a measure of land surface wetness. In a restricted outflow lake with high-carbonate alkalinity, ACF is enhanced during historically wet climatic periods in response to increased aquifer recharge rates. ACF in this lake declines during droughts. A neighboring dilute lake with a high rate of groundwater outflow shows comparatively weak coupling between ACF and PDSI history. Ionic chemistry, carbonate mineral equilibria, and δ¹³C patterns of dissolved inorganic carbon show that the sensitivity of the ACF signal depends on the degree of evaporative evolution of lake water and the mineral saturation state of the water column under conditions of stratification and ice cover.     

Stable isotopes of pedogenic carbonates from the Somma–Vesuvius area,southern Italy,over the past 18 kyr: palaeoclimatic implications

Stable isotopes were measured in the carbonate and organic matter of palaeosols in the Somma–Vesuvius area, southern Italy in order to test whether they are suitable proxy records for climatic and ecological changes in this area during the past 18000 yr. The ages of the soils span from ca. 18 to ca. 3 kyr BP. Surprisingly, the Last Glacial to Holocene climate transition was not accompanied by significant change in δ¹⁸O of pedogenic carbonate. This could be explained by changes in evaporation rate and in isotope fractionation between water and precipitated carbonate with temperature, which counterbalanced the expected change in isotope composition of meteoric water. Because of the rise in temperature and humidity and the progressive increase in tree cover during the Holocene, the Holocene soil carbonates closely reflect the isotopic composition of meteoric water. A cooling of about 2°C after the Avellino eruption (3.8 ka) accounts for a sudden decrease of about 1‰ in δ¹⁸O of pedogenic carbonate recorded after this eruption. The δ¹³C values of organic matter and pedogenic carbonate covary, indicating an effective isotope equilibrium between the organic matter, as the source of CO₂, and the pedogenic carbonate. Carbon isotopes suggest prevailing C₃ vegetation and negligible mixing with volcanogenic or atmospheric CO₂. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Holocene climatic record denoted by geochemical indicators from Barkol Lake in the northeastern Xinjiang,NW China

The Barkol Lake, as a closed inland lake, is located at the northeast Xinjiang in northwest China. A combination of geochemical indicators including δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C of carbonate, TOC, carbonate contents, as well as grain size proxies and magnetic susceptibility of sediments obtained from a newly recovered section at this lake, provides a high-resolution history of climatic change in the past 9400 years. Multi-indicators reflect that Holocene climatic change in the study region generally follows the Westerly Wind pattern of Holocene, and three climatic periods can be identified. Between 9400 and 7500 cal a B.P., climate was characterized by relatively drier and colder condition. From 7500 to 5800 cal a B.P., a relatively warmer and moister climate prevailed, but between 5800 and 3500 cal a B.P., climate shifted towards warmer and drier conditions. A relatively colder and wetter climate prevailed during 3500∼1000 cal a B.P., then it changed towards cold and dry between 1000 and 500 cal a B.P.; after 500 cal a B.P., climate changed towards warm and dry conditions again. This study reflects that during the Middle Holocene (from ca 7000 to 3500 cal a B.P.), variations of carbonate δ¹⁸O of sediments from several lakes in the northern Xinjiang were synchronous with that of Qinghai Lake, where was strongly influenced by the South Asian monsoon; however, after 3500 cal a B.P. this consistency was interrupted, possibly resulting from a re-domination of the Westerly Wind and the retreat of South Asian monsoon in the northern Xinjiang.     

Oxygen and carbon isotope composition of Gordon Group carbonates (Ordovician), Florentine Valley,Tasmania, Australia

The Gordon Group carbonates consist of biota of the Chlorozoan assemblage, diverse non‐skeletal grains and abundant micrite and dolomite, similar to those of modern warm water carbonates. Cathodoluminescence studies indicate marine, meteoric and some burial cements. Dolomites replacing burrows, mudcracks and micrite formed during early diagenesis.

δ¹⁸O values (‐5 to ‐7%ō PDB) of the non‐luminescent fauna and marine cement are lighter than those of modern counterparts but are similar to those existing within low latitudes during the Ordovician because of the light δ¹⁸O values of Ordovician seawater (‐3 to ‐5%o SMOW). The δ¹⁸O difference (2%o) between marine and meteoric calcite indicates that Ordovician meteoric water was similar to that in modern subtropics. Values of δ¹³C relative to δ¹⁸O indicate that during the Early Ordovician there were higher atmospheric CO₂ levels than at present but during the Middle and Late Ordovician they became comparable with the present because of a change from ‘Greenhouse’ to glacial conditions. δ¹⁸O values of Late Ordovician seawater were heavier than in the Middle Ordovician mainly because of glaciation.

Dolomitization took place in marine to mixed‐marine waters while the original calcium carbonate was undergoing marine to meteoric diagenesis.     

The Mid-Cenomanian Event in shallow marine environments: Influence on carbonate producers and depositional sequences (northern Aquitaine Basin,France)

The Mid-Cenomanian Event was a positive carbon-isotope (δ¹³C) excursion recorded in hemipelagic basins of the western Tethyan Sea, North to Tropical Atlantic Ocean, and Japan. It is thought of as a prelude to the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. However, the Mid-Cenomanian Event has never been studied in detail in shallow marine platform deposits and it is not known how it relates to carbonate production and stratigraphic geometry. To better understand how this carbon cycle disruption influenced the neritic biological communities in shallow carbonates during the Cenomanian, a facies, geochemical, diagenetic, and sequence stratigraphic study of the northern Aquitaine platform has been conducted. Seventy-six δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O measurements have been made on micrite, rudists, and diagenetic cements. Fifteen sedimentary facies have been arranged into four depositional environments. Three third-order sequences (C_B, C_C, C_D) are defined from late early Cenomanian to early late Cenomanian and are well correlated with eustatic cycles in European basins. Two peaks of the Mid-Cenomanian Event (MCE1a, +1.2‰, and MCE1b, +1.7‰) have been identified for the first time in shallow marine carbonates. Analysis of diagenetic blocky calcite cements suggests that diagenesis did not affect the δ¹³C of micrite, which can be discussed in terms of the initial signal. The Mid-Cenomanian Event was synchronous with a turnover in neritic carbonate producers marking a transition from photozoan to heterozoan facies. This facies change resulted from the establishment of mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions at the early/mid-Cenomanian transition, reflecting a clear connection between the Mid-Cenomanian Event and neritic biological communities. Depositional geometry and carbonate production varied with δ¹³C during the Mid-Cenomanian Event on the Aquitaine platform. When δ¹³C values were between 2.5‰ and 3‰, the geometry was a flat platform with a high carbonate sedimentation rate leading to the formation of sandbars and rudist bioherms (Accommodation/Sedimentation ratio less than 1, A/S < 1). When the δ¹³C value exceeded 3‰, a carbonate demise occurred and clays and marls were deposited in the lower offshore environment (A/S >> 1). The general carbonate demise affecting the northern Aquitaine platform during the mid-Cenomanian can be explained by both a eustatic sea-level rise and the establishment of eutrophic conditions. The coincidence of the Mid-Cenomanian Event with both (1) the occurrence of mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions marked by carbonate producer turnover from photozoan to heterozoan facies and (2) the transgressive cycles, suggests that eustatic sea-level rise leading to high trophic conditions could explain this positive δ¹³C excursion in the Atlantic and western Tethyan domain. During the mid-Cenomanian, carbon cycle perturbations largely controlled the neritic biological communities on shallow carbonate platforms in a part of the western Tethyan domain.     

Lithium distribution and isotopic fractionation during chemical weathering and soil formation in a loess profile

Lithium (Li) is a fluid-mobile element and δ⁷Li in secondary deposits represents an excellent proxy for silicate weathering and authigenic mineral formation. The soil samples from 1205 to 1295 cm in the Weinan profile, one of the best developed loess-paleosol sequences covering the last glacial–interglacial climatic cycle, were collected and chemically separated into detritus and carbonate fractions for subsequent analyses of Li, δ⁷Li, major and trace elements. Other desert specimens (i.e., Qaidam Desert, Tengger Desert, Badain Juran Desert and Taklimakan Desert) near the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) and various standard clays were analyzed for assisting provenance determination. The Li and δ⁷Li distributions in the detritus are rather homogeneous, 1.4–2.0 μg/g and +2.5‰ to +4.7‰, respectively, compared with the carbonate fraction. The detrital δ⁷Li varies systematically with magnetic susceptibility and grain size changes, reflecting significant Li isotopic variation associated with sources and mineralogy of detrital material. On the other hand, Li and δ⁷Li in carbonates show large changes, 781–963 ng/g and −4.1‰ to +10.2‰, respectively. These carbonate δ⁷Li correlated well with the estimated index of chemical weathering, as a result of Li mobilization and soil formation during chemical weathering.     

Holocene and Eemian climatic optima in the Korean Peninsula based on textural and carbon isotopic records from the stalagmite of the Daeya Cave,South Korea

Textural and stable isotopic records from the absolute-dated stalagmite of the Daeya Cave (DY-1) provide new insights into the climatic evolution of the Korean Peninsula during the Holocene and Eemian climatic optima. The stalagmite yielded ages of 8572 ± 227 to 5907 ± 158 and 1,23,456 ± 535 to 1,19,837 ± 1089 years, which coincide with the Holocene and Eemian climatic optima, respectively. The stalagmite’s δ¹³C record closely resembles previously reported Chinese speleothem δ¹⁸O data. Thus it can be suggested that textural and geochemical results of the DY-1 reflect East Asian monsoon intensity, which is forced by summer insolation patterns in the northern hemisphere. Lighter carbon isotopic compositions, well-developed fibrous calcite crystals, and their relatively faster growth rate in the stalagmite sample are interpreted to reflect the warmest and wettest climate conditions of the Holocene and Eemian interglacials. Both climatic optima took place when insolation was decreasing from its maximum level, temperature in Greenland was highest, and sea level approached its maximum level. These climatic optima also coincide with decreasing Antarctic temperatures. Compared the DY-1 data to other proxies, it is suggested that the Holocene and Eemian climatic optima developed through a balance among boreal insolation, monsoon intensity, and sea level (also continental ice volume), which are the main climatic forcing factors in the northern hemisphere. These trends also follow the bi-polar seesaw mechanism as previously described.