Volcanic disturbance during the recovery of biota in the aftermath of
Permian-Triassic boundary mass extinction
Abstract
Evaporites and carbonates intercalated with volcanic beds are
distributed in the Jialingjiang and Leikoupo Formations straddling the
boundary of the Lower and Middle Triassic in the Sichuan Basin.
High-resolution curves of 87Sr/86Sr
ratios and δ34Ssulphate of marine
sediments show the study section has relatively stable isotopic
compositions of S and Sr except for the volcanic bed. The abrupt
positive shift of 87Sr/86Sr ratios
and negative shift of δ34Ssulphate
occurred in the volcanic layer. The Sr isotopic curve defines a rough
age range of 244 to 248 Ma. The volcanic bed is characterized by high
anhydrite Th/U ratios, indicating a strong anoxic environment. The
volcanic eruptions released a huge amount of CO2 and
SO2, which could lower temperature first by sulphate
aerosols and induce subsequent climate warming by greenhouse gases. This
cooling-warming cycle has triggered the overturn of the deep anoxia
seawater. The synergistic effects of degassing of gases
(CO2 and SO2) and overturn of the deep
anoxia seawater have caused the negative shifts of
δ34Ssulphate, and anoxic event during
the volcanic eruption. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and associated acid
rain could have enhanced the continental weathering, resulting in an
increasing flux of radiogenic 87Sr. Furthermore,
volcanic eruptions and related environmental changes could have imposed
severe stress on the full recovery of the ecosystem since the
End-Permian mass extinction, which is corroborated by fossil records.