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Testing for ocean acidification during the Early Toarcian using δ44/40Ca and δ88/86Sr

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Li, Q 
McArthur, JM 
Thirlwall, MF 
Turchyn, AV 
Page, K 

Abstract

During the Early Toarcian, volcanic gases released by the Karoo-Ferrar large igneous province are widely believed to have caused severe environmental disturbances, including ocean acidification. Here we show records of δ Ca and δ Sr through the Early Toarcian, as recorded in three groups of biogenic calcite: Megateuthididae belemnites, Passaloteuthididae belemnites, and brachiopods of the species Soaresirhynchia bouchardi. We evaluate the data to eliminate the influence on isotopic composition of varying temperature, calcification rate, and salinity, through the section that may mask the environmental signals. Neither δ Ca nor δ Sr show negative isotope excursions across the suggested acidification interval as would be expected had acidification occurred. A profile of δ B, re-interpreted from a published study, shows no variation through the interval. Taken together, these data provide little support for ocean acidification at this time. In our belemnites, values of δ Sr are independent of temperature or Sr/Ca. For brachiopods, too few data are available to determine whether such dependences exist. Values of δ Ca show a weak temperature control of magnitude +0.020 ± 0.004 ‰/°C (2 s.d.). In belemnites, δ Ca also correlates positively with Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca. 44/40 88/86 44/40 88/86 11 88/86 44/40 44/40

Description

Keywords

Ca-isotopes, Sr-isotopes, Toarcian, OAE, Ocean acidification

Journal Title

Chemical Geology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0009-2541
1872-6836

Volume Title

574

Publisher

Elsevier BV