Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism
Abstract We measured the concentrations of trace elements in Late Permian to Early Triassic sediments from Spitsbergen. High mercury concentrations in sediments from the level of the Permo‐Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME) at this location were previously attributed to the emplacement of the Siberian...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009064 |
| _version_ | 1797637949185064960 |
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| author | Marcel Regelous Anette Regelous Stephen E. Grasby David P. G. Bond Karsten M. Haase Stefan Gleißner Paul B. Wignall |
| author_facet | Marcel Regelous Anette Regelous Stephen E. Grasby David P. G. Bond Karsten M. Haase Stefan Gleißner Paul B. Wignall |
| author_sort | Marcel Regelous |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We measured the concentrations of trace elements in Late Permian to Early Triassic sediments from Spitsbergen. High mercury concentrations in sediments from the level of the Permo‐Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME) at this location were previously attributed to the emplacement of the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province and used to link the timing of volcanism with the record of environmental change and extinction in these sediments. We investigated the use of the moderately to highly volatile, siderophile elements Ni, Zn, Cd, Sb, Te, Re, and Tl as proxies for the intensity of Siberian volcanism. These trace elements, like Hg, have high concentrations in volcanic gas compared to crustal rocks. Tellurium is highly enriched at the PTME, and Te/Th ratios increase by a factor of ∼20 across the PTME, similar to the variation in Hg/total organic carbon (TOC) in the same samples. Te/Th and Hg/TOC values imply that Siberian volcanism initiated at the onset of the PTME, coincident with the start of the δ13Corganic excursion and abrupt warming. Based on Te and Hg, most Siberian volcanism occurred between the two phases of the PTME boundary (a period of less than 100 ky), but also continued into the Early Triassic. The duration of Siberian volcanism inferred from Te/Th and Hg/TOC is shorter than that indicated by recent high‐precision U‐Pb ages of Siberian intrusive and extrusive rocks. Te concentrations and Te/Th ratios in sediments represent a useful new proxy for volcanism, which can be used to link the marine sedimentary record with large volcanic events on land. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:55:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7520a9ab9948424b858c9985ec3c1335 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:55:36Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-7520a9ab9948424b858c9985ec3c13352023-11-03T17:01:17ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272020-11-012111n/an/a10.1029/2020GC009064Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt VolcanismMarcel Regelous0Anette Regelous1Stephen E. Grasby2David P. G. Bond3Karsten M. Haase4Stefan Gleißner5Paul B. Wignall6GeoZentrum Nordbayern Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Erlangen GermanyGeoZentrum Nordbayern Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Erlangen GermanyGeological Survey of Canada Calgary CanadaDepartment of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences University of Hull Hull UKGeoZentrum Nordbayern Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Erlangen GermanyGeoZentrum Nordbayern Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Erlangen GermanySchool of Earth and Environment University of Leeds Leeds UKAbstract We measured the concentrations of trace elements in Late Permian to Early Triassic sediments from Spitsbergen. High mercury concentrations in sediments from the level of the Permo‐Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME) at this location were previously attributed to the emplacement of the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province and used to link the timing of volcanism with the record of environmental change and extinction in these sediments. We investigated the use of the moderately to highly volatile, siderophile elements Ni, Zn, Cd, Sb, Te, Re, and Tl as proxies for the intensity of Siberian volcanism. These trace elements, like Hg, have high concentrations in volcanic gas compared to crustal rocks. Tellurium is highly enriched at the PTME, and Te/Th ratios increase by a factor of ∼20 across the PTME, similar to the variation in Hg/total organic carbon (TOC) in the same samples. Te/Th and Hg/TOC values imply that Siberian volcanism initiated at the onset of the PTME, coincident with the start of the δ13Corganic excursion and abrupt warming. Based on Te and Hg, most Siberian volcanism occurred between the two phases of the PTME boundary (a period of less than 100 ky), but also continued into the Early Triassic. The duration of Siberian volcanism inferred from Te/Th and Hg/TOC is shorter than that indicated by recent high‐precision U‐Pb ages of Siberian intrusive and extrusive rocks. Te concentrations and Te/Th ratios in sediments represent a useful new proxy for volcanism, which can be used to link the marine sedimentary record with large volcanic events on land.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009064 |
| spellingShingle | Marcel Regelous Anette Regelous Stephen E. Grasby David P. G. Bond Karsten M. Haase Stefan Gleißner Paul B. Wignall Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| title | Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism |
| title_full | Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism |
| title_fullStr | Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism |
| title_short | Tellurium in Late Permian‐Early Triassic Sediments as a Proxy for Siberian Flood Basalt Volcanism |
| title_sort | tellurium in late permian early triassic sediments as a proxy for siberian flood basalt volcanism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009064 |
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