TY - JOUR
T1 - A multi-proxy approach to decode the end-Cretaceous mass extinction
AU - Punekar, Jahnavi
AU - Keller, Gerta
AU - Khozyem, Hassan M.
AU - Adatte, Thierry
AU - Font, Eric
AU - Spangenberg, Jorge
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by Princeton University's Scott and Tuttle Funds , the U.S. National Science Foundation (grants NSF EAR-0207407 , EAR-0447171 and EAR-1026271 ) and FCT (ref. PTDC/CTE-GIX/117298/2010 ). We thank the three anonymous reviewers and the Guest Editor Prof. Wolfram M. Kürschner for their insightful comments and suggestions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - Mass extinctions generally involve a complex array of interrelated causes and are best evaluated by a multi-proxy approach as applied here for the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. This study documents and compares the planktic foraminiferal records, carbonate dissolution effects, stable isotopes, and magnetic susceptibility in France (Bidart), Austria (Gamsbach) and Tunisia (Elles) in order to explore the environmental conditions during the uppermost Maastrichtian Plummerita hantkeninoides zone CF1 leading up to the mass extinction. Planktic foraminiferal assemblages at Bidart and Gamsbach appear to be more diverse than those at Elles, with unusually high abundance (20-30%) and diversity (~ 15 species) of globotruncanids in the two deep-water sections but lower abundance (<. 10%) and diversity (<. 10 species) at the middle shelf Elles section. Oxygen isotopes in zone CF1 of Elles record rapid climate warming followed by cooling and a possible return to rapid warming prior to the mass extinction.The onset of high stress conditions for planktic foraminifera is observed ~50-60cm below the KTB at Bidart and Gamsbach, and ~4.5m below the KTB at Elles due to much higher sediment accumulation rates. These intervals at Bidart and Gamsbach record low magnetic susceptibility and high planktic foraminiferal fragmentation index (FI) at Elles, Bidart and Gamsbach. An increased abundance of species with dissolution-resistant morphologies is also observed at Gamsbach. The correlative interval in India records significantly stronger carbonate dissolution effects in intertrappean sediments between the longest lava flows, ending with the mass extinction. Based on current evidence, this widespread dissolution event stratigraphically coincides with the climate cooling that follows the Late Maatrichtian global warming and may be linked to ocean acidification due to Deccan volcanism. The estimated 12,000-28,000Gigatons (Gt) of CO2 and 5200-13,600Gt of SO2 introduced into the atmosphere likely triggered the carbonate crisis in the oceans resulting in severe stress for marine calcifiers leading to mass extinction.
AB - Mass extinctions generally involve a complex array of interrelated causes and are best evaluated by a multi-proxy approach as applied here for the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. This study documents and compares the planktic foraminiferal records, carbonate dissolution effects, stable isotopes, and magnetic susceptibility in France (Bidart), Austria (Gamsbach) and Tunisia (Elles) in order to explore the environmental conditions during the uppermost Maastrichtian Plummerita hantkeninoides zone CF1 leading up to the mass extinction. Planktic foraminiferal assemblages at Bidart and Gamsbach appear to be more diverse than those at Elles, with unusually high abundance (20-30%) and diversity (~ 15 species) of globotruncanids in the two deep-water sections but lower abundance (<. 10%) and diversity (<. 10 species) at the middle shelf Elles section. Oxygen isotopes in zone CF1 of Elles record rapid climate warming followed by cooling and a possible return to rapid warming prior to the mass extinction.The onset of high stress conditions for planktic foraminifera is observed ~50-60cm below the KTB at Bidart and Gamsbach, and ~4.5m below the KTB at Elles due to much higher sediment accumulation rates. These intervals at Bidart and Gamsbach record low magnetic susceptibility and high planktic foraminiferal fragmentation index (FI) at Elles, Bidart and Gamsbach. An increased abundance of species with dissolution-resistant morphologies is also observed at Gamsbach. The correlative interval in India records significantly stronger carbonate dissolution effects in intertrappean sediments between the longest lava flows, ending with the mass extinction. Based on current evidence, this widespread dissolution event stratigraphically coincides with the climate cooling that follows the Late Maatrichtian global warming and may be linked to ocean acidification due to Deccan volcanism. The estimated 12,000-28,000Gigatons (Gt) of CO2 and 5200-13,600Gt of SO2 introduced into the atmosphere likely triggered the carbonate crisis in the oceans resulting in severe stress for marine calcifiers leading to mass extinction.
KW - Carbonate-dissolution
KW - Deccan volcanism
KW - Low magnetic susceptibility
KW - Ocean acidification
KW - Planktic foraminifera
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U2 - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.08.025
DO - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.08.025
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84947870814
SN - 0031-0182
VL - 441
SP - 116
EP - 136
JO - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
JF - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
ER -