Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods

During the Eocene greenhouse (56.0–33.9 Ma), northwest Europe was dominated by a semi-arid para-tropical climate but the paleohydrological conditions are poorly known. To gain more insight into seasonal hydrological conditions in the region, we compare Lutetian (middle Eocene, ∼ 44–45 Ma) mollusk δ1...

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Main Authors: Clark Alexander J., Vellekoop Johan, Speijer Robert P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2022-01-01
Series:BSGF - Earth Sciences Bulletin
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.bsgf.fr/articles/bsgf/full_html/2022/01/bsgf210005/bsgf210005.html
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author Clark Alexander J.
Vellekoop Johan
Speijer Robert P.
author_facet Clark Alexander J.
Vellekoop Johan
Speijer Robert P.
author_sort Clark Alexander J.
collection DOAJ
description During the Eocene greenhouse (56.0–33.9 Ma), northwest Europe was dominated by a semi-arid para-tropical climate but the paleohydrological conditions are poorly known. To gain more insight into seasonal hydrological conditions in the region, we compare Lutetian (middle Eocene, ∼ 44–45 Ma) mollusk δ18O records from two shallow marine basins on either side of the English Channel, i.e., the Paris and Hampshire Basins. The semi-circular Paris Basin was open to the Atlantic Ocean, while the Hampshire Basin was more enclosed and influenced by the draining of several rivers. The proximity of the basins and the similarity of their faunal assemblages suggest that they experienced roughly similar seawater temperatures but the seasonal hydrology is expected to have been different between these basins. Among the numerous mollusks present in both basins are several members of Conidae, a gastropod family that is particularly well-suited for paleoseasonality reconstructions. To assess the paleohydrological differences between these basins we analyzed the stable oxygen isotopic composition of three specimens of Eoconus deperditus from the Banc à Verrains in the middle part of the Calcaire Grossier Formation of the Paris Basin (France), and three specimens of Eoconus edwardsi from the Shepherd’s Gutter Bed in the upper part of the Selsey Formation of the Hampshire Basin (United Kingdom). While the seasonal variability appears to have been similar between these basins, the δ18O values of the Hampshire Basin specimens are consistently lower than those in the Paris Basin, suggesting a regional difference in δ18Osw of 1–2‰ between the basins. This difference in δ18Osw was likely related to the greater influence of fluvial discharge within the Hampshire basin, compared to the Paris Basin.
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spelling doaj.art-152ec40ee2894ac9be0cb2d948e9a4332022-12-22T02:52:28ZengEDP SciencesBSGF - Earth Sciences Bulletin1777-58172022-01-01193310.1051/bsgf/2022002bsgf210005Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropodsClark Alexander J.0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6949-3187Vellekoop Johan1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6977-693XSpeijer Robert P.2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5873-7203Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU LeuvenDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU LeuvenDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU LeuvenDuring the Eocene greenhouse (56.0–33.9 Ma), northwest Europe was dominated by a semi-arid para-tropical climate but the paleohydrological conditions are poorly known. To gain more insight into seasonal hydrological conditions in the region, we compare Lutetian (middle Eocene, ∼ 44–45 Ma) mollusk δ18O records from two shallow marine basins on either side of the English Channel, i.e., the Paris and Hampshire Basins. The semi-circular Paris Basin was open to the Atlantic Ocean, while the Hampshire Basin was more enclosed and influenced by the draining of several rivers. The proximity of the basins and the similarity of their faunal assemblages suggest that they experienced roughly similar seawater temperatures but the seasonal hydrology is expected to have been different between these basins. Among the numerous mollusks present in both basins are several members of Conidae, a gastropod family that is particularly well-suited for paleoseasonality reconstructions. To assess the paleohydrological differences between these basins we analyzed the stable oxygen isotopic composition of three specimens of Eoconus deperditus from the Banc à Verrains in the middle part of the Calcaire Grossier Formation of the Paris Basin (France), and three specimens of Eoconus edwardsi from the Shepherd’s Gutter Bed in the upper part of the Selsey Formation of the Hampshire Basin (United Kingdom). While the seasonal variability appears to have been similar between these basins, the δ18O values of the Hampshire Basin specimens are consistently lower than those in the Paris Basin, suggesting a regional difference in δ18Osw of 1–2‰ between the basins. This difference in δ18Osw was likely related to the greater influence of fluvial discharge within the Hampshire basin, compared to the Paris Basin.https://www.bsgf.fr/articles/bsgf/full_html/2022/01/bsgf210005/bsgf210005.htmlconidaepaleohydrologylutetian
spellingShingle Clark Alexander J.
Vellekoop Johan
Speijer Robert P.
Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
BSGF - Earth Sciences Bulletin
conidae
paleohydrology
lutetian
title Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
title_full Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
title_fullStr Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
title_full_unstemmed Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
title_short Hydrological differences between the Lutetian Paris and Hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
title_sort hydrological differences between the lutetian paris and hampshire basins revealed by stable isotopes of conid gastropods
topic conidae
paleohydrology
lutetian
url https://www.bsgf.fr/articles/bsgf/full_html/2022/01/bsgf210005/bsgf210005.html
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AT vellekoopjohan hydrologicaldifferencesbetweenthelutetianparisandhampshirebasinsrevealedbystableisotopesofconidgastropods
AT speijerrobertp hydrologicaldifferencesbetweenthelutetianparisandhampshirebasinsrevealedbystableisotopesofconidgastropods