Mercury anomalies across the end Permian mass extinction in South China from shallow and deep water depositional environments

Life on Earth suffered its greatest bio-crisis since multicellular organisms rose 600 million years ago during the end-Permian mass extinction. Coincidence of the mass extinction with flood basalt eruptions in Siberia is well established, but the exact causal connection between the eruptions and ext...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Earth and planetary science letters 2018-08, Vol.496, p.159-167
Main Authors: Wang, Xiangdong, Cawood, Peter A., Zhao, He, Zhao, Laishi, Grasby, Stephen E., Chen, Zhong-Qiang, Wignall, Paul B., Lv, Zhengyi, Han, Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
bio-crisis
Hg isotopes
Meishan GSSP
Permian–Triassic boundary
Siberian Traps
South China
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Summary:Life on Earth suffered its greatest bio-crisis since multicellular organisms rose 600 million years ago during the end-Permian mass extinction. Coincidence of the mass extinction with flood basalt eruptions in Siberia is well established, but the exact causal connection between the eruptions and extinction processes in South China is uncertain due to their wide spatial separation and the absence of direct geochemical evidence linking the two. The concentration and stable isotope analysis of mercury provides a way to test these links as its concentration is thought to be tied to igneous activity. Mercury/total organic carbon ratios from three Permian–Triassic boundary sections with a well-resolved extinction record in South China show elevated values (up to 900 ppb/wt.% relative to a background of
ISSN:0012-821X
1385-013X
DOI:10.1016/j.epsl.2018.05.044