Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau
Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau plays a significant and lasting role in the variations of climate conditions and global carbon cycle. However, our knowledge is limited due to the lack of long-sequence records revealing rates of CO2 and CH4 production, hampering our understanding of the relationship be...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.582062/full |
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| author | Gen Wang Gen Wang Yongli Wang Yongli Wang Zhifu Wei Zhifu Wei Zepeng Sun Wei He Wei He Xueyun Ma Xueyun Ma |
| author_facet | Gen Wang Gen Wang Yongli Wang Yongli Wang Zhifu Wei Zhifu Wei Zepeng Sun Wei He Wei He Xueyun Ma Xueyun Ma |
| author_sort | Gen Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau plays a significant and lasting role in the variations of climate conditions and global carbon cycle. However, our knowledge is limited due to the lack of long-sequence records revealing rates of CO2 and CH4 production, hampering our understanding of the relationship between paleoclimatic conditions, carbon cycling and greenhouse gas flux. Here, we present a combination of paleoclimate records and low-temperature thermal simulation results from sediments of the Xiaolongtan Basin at the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, spanning the late Miocene (14.1 ∼ 11.6 Ma). The n-alkane-derived proxies suggested that the sources of organic matter were obviously different: a mixed source including lower organisms and terrestrial higher plants for the Dongshengqiao Formation from 14.1 to 12.6 Ma, and a predominant contribution from terrestrial higher plants for Xiaolongtan Formation between 12.6 and 11.6 Ma. The paleoclimate was generally warm and humid as reflected by the lipid biomarkers, consistent with previous studies. In addition, the carbon gases (including CO2 and hydrocarbon gases) generated by the low-temperature thermal simulation experiments indicated a production rate of CO2 and CH4 were as high as 88,000 ml/kg rock and 4,000 ml/kg rock, respectively, implying there were certain amounts of carbon gases generated and released into the atmosphere during their shallow burial stage. Besides, the calculated production rate of carbon gases and the estimated burial flux of organic carbon varied in response to the variations of paleoclimate conditions. Based on these observations, we propose that the climate conditions predominantly controlled the formation and accumulation of organic matter, which consequently affected the production of carbon gases and burial flux of organic carbon. The results presented here may provide a significant insight into the carbon cycle in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:04:18Z |
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| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:04:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d688d80cbcaa4fff962c091f645ad7fe2022-12-21T19:03:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632021-04-01910.3389/feart.2021.582062582062Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan PlateauGen Wang0Gen Wang1Yongli Wang2Yongli Wang3Zhifu Wei4Zhifu Wei5Zepeng Sun6Wei He7Wei He8Xueyun Ma9Xueyun Ma10Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, ChinaNorthwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, ChinaNorthwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaNorthwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaUplift of the Tibetan Plateau plays a significant and lasting role in the variations of climate conditions and global carbon cycle. However, our knowledge is limited due to the lack of long-sequence records revealing rates of CO2 and CH4 production, hampering our understanding of the relationship between paleoclimatic conditions, carbon cycling and greenhouse gas flux. Here, we present a combination of paleoclimate records and low-temperature thermal simulation results from sediments of the Xiaolongtan Basin at the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, spanning the late Miocene (14.1 ∼ 11.6 Ma). The n-alkane-derived proxies suggested that the sources of organic matter were obviously different: a mixed source including lower organisms and terrestrial higher plants for the Dongshengqiao Formation from 14.1 to 12.6 Ma, and a predominant contribution from terrestrial higher plants for Xiaolongtan Formation between 12.6 and 11.6 Ma. The paleoclimate was generally warm and humid as reflected by the lipid biomarkers, consistent with previous studies. In addition, the carbon gases (including CO2 and hydrocarbon gases) generated by the low-temperature thermal simulation experiments indicated a production rate of CO2 and CH4 were as high as 88,000 ml/kg rock and 4,000 ml/kg rock, respectively, implying there were certain amounts of carbon gases generated and released into the atmosphere during their shallow burial stage. Besides, the calculated production rate of carbon gases and the estimated burial flux of organic carbon varied in response to the variations of paleoclimate conditions. Based on these observations, we propose that the climate conditions predominantly controlled the formation and accumulation of organic matter, which consequently affected the production of carbon gases and burial flux of organic carbon. The results presented here may provide a significant insight into the carbon cycle in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.582062/fulllipid biomarkerlow-temperature thermal simulationcarbon cycleburial rates of organic carbonlate Miocene |
| spellingShingle | Gen Wang Gen Wang Yongli Wang Yongli Wang Zhifu Wei Zhifu Wei Zepeng Sun Wei He Wei He Xueyun Ma Xueyun Ma Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau Frontiers in Earth Science lipid biomarker low-temperature thermal simulation carbon cycle burial rates of organic carbon late Miocene |
| title | Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | potential production of carbon gases and their responses to paleoclimate conditions an example from xiaolongtan basin southeast tibetan plateau |
| topic | lipid biomarker low-temperature thermal simulation carbon cycle burial rates of organic carbon late Miocene |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.582062/full |
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