Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia

Brachiopods are the biological constituents most often used for the delineation of stable C and O isotopic compositions in Palaeozoic sediments. We present C and O isotope data for the Late Ordovician and early Silurian to evaluate the palaeotemperatures and palaeoenvironmental variability in Baltic...

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Main Authors: Bilal Gul, Leho Ainsaar, Tõnu Meidla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Estonian Academy Publishers 2021-11-01
Series:Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://kirj.ee/wp-content/plugins/kirj/pub/earth-4-2021-196-209_20211115211537.pdf
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author Bilal Gul
Leho Ainsaar
Tõnu Meidla
author_facet Bilal Gul
Leho Ainsaar
Tõnu Meidla
author_sort Bilal Gul
collection DOAJ
description Brachiopods are the biological constituents most often used for the delineation of stable C and O isotopic compositions in Palaeozoic sediments. We present C and O isotope data for the Late Ordovician and early Silurian to evaluate the palaeotemperatures and palaeoenvironmental variability in Baltica from bulk rock and brachiopod shells. The studied carbonate rocks and fossils are well preserved in most of the localities as the area has not been affected by substantial tectonic activities or deep burial diagenesis. The δ13C and δ18O values for the samples range from â1.5â° to 5â° and from â7â° to â2â°, respectively. If the isotope signal reflects the original oxygen composition in sea water, the high δ13C and δ18O values could correspond to the colder episodes and vice versa. The Late Ordovician Hirnantian stable carbon isotopic excursion (HICE) is well recognized globally as an eminent glacial isotopic event and has been reported in several sections in the Baltic region. The HICE is observable in the bulk rock carbon stable isotope curves as a very clear gradual rise and a maximum confined to the upper part of the Ãrina Formation (Porkuni Regional Stage) in northern Estonia. The rising interval of δ13C in the Ãrina Formation may correspond to the early Hirnantian time interval. The peak HICE is followed by a gradual decline in the δ13C values in the basal beds of the Varbola Formation (Juuru Regional Stage). The bulk carbonate δ18O values show a prominent positive excursion in the Hirnantian interval possibly reflecting the global cooling event. The post-glacial latest Ordovician to early Silurian global warming might be responsible for the clear decreasing trend of both the δ18Obulk and δ18Obrach values in the interval of the Juuru Regional Stage in the studied sections. Our study shows that δ18O values revealed from both the brachiopod and bulk rock material of marine Upper Ordovicianâlower Silurian carbonates could tentatively be interpreted as reflecting the major temperature trends.
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spelling doaj.art-698c3bf97f5d477b886c01927a28e1622022-12-22T04:02:37ZengEstonian Academy PublishersEstonian Journal of Earth Sciences1736-47281736-75572021-11-0170419620910.3176/earth.2021.1410.3176/earth.2021.14Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern EstoniaBilal Gul0Leho Ainsaar1Tõnu Meidla2Department of Geology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411 Tartu, EstoniaDepartment of Geology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; leho.ainsaar@ut.eeDepartment of Geology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411 Tartu, EstoniaBrachiopods are the biological constituents most often used for the delineation of stable C and O isotopic compositions in Palaeozoic sediments. We present C and O isotope data for the Late Ordovician and early Silurian to evaluate the palaeotemperatures and palaeoenvironmental variability in Baltica from bulk rock and brachiopod shells. The studied carbonate rocks and fossils are well preserved in most of the localities as the area has not been affected by substantial tectonic activities or deep burial diagenesis. The δ13C and δ18O values for the samples range from â1.5â° to 5â° and from â7â° to â2â°, respectively. If the isotope signal reflects the original oxygen composition in sea water, the high δ13C and δ18O values could correspond to the colder episodes and vice versa. The Late Ordovician Hirnantian stable carbon isotopic excursion (HICE) is well recognized globally as an eminent glacial isotopic event and has been reported in several sections in the Baltic region. The HICE is observable in the bulk rock carbon stable isotope curves as a very clear gradual rise and a maximum confined to the upper part of the Ãrina Formation (Porkuni Regional Stage) in northern Estonia. The rising interval of δ13C in the Ãrina Formation may correspond to the early Hirnantian time interval. The peak HICE is followed by a gradual decline in the δ13C values in the basal beds of the Varbola Formation (Juuru Regional Stage). The bulk carbonate δ18O values show a prominent positive excursion in the Hirnantian interval possibly reflecting the global cooling event. The post-glacial latest Ordovician to early Silurian global warming might be responsible for the clear decreasing trend of both the δ18Obulk and δ18Obrach values in the interval of the Juuru Regional Stage in the studied sections. Our study shows that δ18O values revealed from both the brachiopod and bulk rock material of marine Upper Ordovicianâlower Silurian carbonates could tentatively be interpreted as reflecting the major temperature trends.https://kirj.ee/wp-content/plugins/kirj/pub/earth-4-2021-196-209_20211115211537.pdfstable carbon and oxygen isotopeshirnantianbrachiopodspalaeotemperatureordovician–silurian boundary.
spellingShingle Bilal Gul
Leho Ainsaar
Tõnu Meidla
Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia
Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences
stable carbon and oxygen isotopes
hirnantian
brachiopods
palaeotemperature
ordovician–silurian boundary.
title Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia
title_full Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia
title_fullStr Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia
title_full_unstemmed Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia
title_short Latest Ordovician–early Silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern Estonia
title_sort latest ordovician early silurian palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeotemperature trends indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from northern estonia
topic stable carbon and oxygen isotopes
hirnantian
brachiopods
palaeotemperature
ordovician–silurian boundary.
url https://kirj.ee/wp-content/plugins/kirj/pub/earth-4-2021-196-209_20211115211537.pdf
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