Lithogeochemical and sulfide trace-element systematics across the Permian–Triassic boundary, Perth Basin, Western Australia: constraints on the shallow marine environment during the end-Permian mass extinction
E. Lounejeva, J. Steadman, R. Large, K. Grice, P. Olin, I. Belousov
{"title":"Lithogeochemical and sulfide trace-element systematics across the Permian–Triassic boundary, Perth Basin, Western Australia: constraints on the shallow marine environment during the end-Permian mass extinction","authors":"E. Lounejeva, J. Steadman, R. Large, K. Grice, P. Olin, I. Belousov","doi":"10.1080/08120099.2023.2200476","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Sedimentary pyrite trace-element composition is an established proxy for determining paleo-ocean geochemistry and atmospheric oxygen concentrations through deep time. However, its applicability over shorter time-scales (i.e. <20 Ma) is not well known. To test this, we targeted fine-grained pyrite in the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale (Perth Basin, Western Australia), which encompasses the late Permian inertinitic interval and the end-Permian to Early Triassic sapropel, and spans approximately 10 million years. The end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) was the largest extinction event in Earth history, and its greatest effect is documented in the marine environment. Samples were collected from two oil exploration wells—Redback-2 and Hovea-3—spaced ∼20 km apart. In the two boreholes, a change in depositional facies (i.e. between the inertinite and sapropel) occurs below the Permian–Triassic boundary and records the transition from a marginal marine to a shelf environment. This transition is highlighted by several lithogeochemical indicators (e.g. negative shift δ13C values and Corg reduction; increases in Ca, Fe and P), which are themselves tied to fundamental changes in modal mineralogy between the two zones. Importantly, the sapropel also records a major increase in iron sulfide burial over that in the inertinite. LA-ICPMS analyses of pyrite demonstrate that trace-element abundance is highest in samples below the facies transition, and in places reaches a few percent, particularly of Ni (4 wt%), Co (1.5 wt%) and As (2.8 wt%). Moreover, these and other trace elements decrease by an order of magnitude in concert with the negative shift in δ13C values in the sapropel zone. Various whole-rock based paleosalinity indicator ratios (e.g. B/Ga) indicate that the areas of the Perth Basin intersected by Redback-2 and Hovea-3 were not fully connected to the open ocean at the time of the EPME, which leads us to conclude that the very high trace-element values in the sedimentary sulfides are reflective of regional environmental shifts rather than a global signal. Nonetheless, a geochemical contribution from a distant igneous province, such as the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province, cannot be ruled out. Our work underscores the strength of sedimentary pyrite as a robust paleoenvironmental proxy in the marine environment and highlights the need for further investigation of pyrite trace-element profiles across the mass extinction interval in other sedimentary sequences around the globe. KEY POINTS LA-ICPMS-based geochemistry of sedimentary pyrite from the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale is considered within a lithochemostratigraphic context. The overall interpretation of the results involves a change in depositional setting from the marginal in the late Permian brackish waters to shelfal marine and loss of oxygen in the Early Triassic Perth Basin.","PeriodicalId":8601,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Earth Sciences","volume":"70 1","pages":"716 - 730"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Australian Journal of Earth Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08120099.2023.2200476","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Sedimentary pyrite trace-element composition is an established proxy for determining paleo-ocean geochemistry and atmospheric oxygen concentrations through deep time. However, its applicability over shorter time-scales (i.e. <20 Ma) is not well known. To test this, we targeted fine-grained pyrite in the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale (Perth Basin, Western Australia), which encompasses the late Permian inertinitic interval and the end-Permian to Early Triassic sapropel, and spans approximately 10 million years. The end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) was the largest extinction event in Earth history, and its greatest effect is documented in the marine environment. Samples were collected from two oil exploration wells—Redback-2 and Hovea-3—spaced ∼20 km apart. In the two boreholes, a change in depositional facies (i.e. between the inertinite and sapropel) occurs below the Permian–Triassic boundary and records the transition from a marginal marine to a shelf environment. This transition is highlighted by several lithogeochemical indicators (e.g. negative shift δ13C values and Corg reduction; increases in Ca, Fe and P), which are themselves tied to fundamental changes in modal mineralogy between the two zones. Importantly, the sapropel also records a major increase in iron sulfide burial over that in the inertinite. LA-ICPMS analyses of pyrite demonstrate that trace-element abundance is highest in samples below the facies transition, and in places reaches a few percent, particularly of Ni (4 wt%), Co (1.5 wt%) and As (2.8 wt%). Moreover, these and other trace elements decrease by an order of magnitude in concert with the negative shift in δ13C values in the sapropel zone. Various whole-rock based paleosalinity indicator ratios (e.g. B/Ga) indicate that the areas of the Perth Basin intersected by Redback-2 and Hovea-3 were not fully connected to the open ocean at the time of the EPME, which leads us to conclude that the very high trace-element values in the sedimentary sulfides are reflective of regional environmental shifts rather than a global signal. Nonetheless, a geochemical contribution from a distant igneous province, such as the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province, cannot be ruled out. Our work underscores the strength of sedimentary pyrite as a robust paleoenvironmental proxy in the marine environment and highlights the need for further investigation of pyrite trace-element profiles across the mass extinction interval in other sedimentary sequences around the globe. KEY POINTS LA-ICPMS-based geochemistry of sedimentary pyrite from the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale is considered within a lithochemostratigraphic context. The overall interpretation of the results involves a change in depositional setting from the marginal in the late Permian brackish waters to shelfal marine and loss of oxygen in the Early Triassic Perth Basin.
期刊介绍:
Australian Journal of Earth Sciences publishes peer-reviewed research papers as well as significant review articles of general interest to geoscientists. The Journal covers the whole field of earth science including basin studies, regional geophysical studies and metallogeny. There is usually a thematic issue each year featuring a selection of papers on a particular area of earth science. Shorter papers are encouraged and are given priority in publication. Critical discussion of recently published papers is also encouraged.