Cisuralian (Early Permian) paleogeographic evolution of South China Block and sea-level changes: Implications for the global Artinskian Warming Event

• Published in: Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 2023-03, Vol.613, p.111395, Article 111395
• Main Authors: Hou, Zhang-shuai, Shen, Shu-zhong, Henderson, Charles M., Yuan, Dong-xun, Zhang, Yi-chun, Fan, Jun-xuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Artinskian Warming Event; Cisuralian; Eustasy; Paleogeography; South China
• ISSN: 0031-0182; 1872-616X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111395

The final phase of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) involved a paleoclimatic transition from an icehouse to a greenhouse world during the Cisuralian (Early Permian in traditional stratigraphic correlation frameworks), which was called the Artinskian Warming Event (AWE). Paleogeography is an important tool to investigate the landform response to global sea-level changes in deep time. Stratigraphic sections gathered from published literature were digitized and stored in the Geobiodiversity Database. These biochronologically constrained sedimentary successions are used to reconstruct the paleogeographic evolution of the South China Block (SCB) throughout the Cisuralian. Four consecutive paleogeographic maps are constructed based on the features of sedimentary successions, including the Asselian – Sakmarian, the early Artinskian, the late Artinskian, and the Kungurian time intervals. These maps of the SCB may contribute to the implementation of global paleogeographic schemes. A landmass index based on spatial analysis of different elements is established further to identify the paleogeographic evolution pattern of SCB and reflect the LPIA-driven global eustatic signals. It showed two small cyclic fluctuation episodes during Asselian-Sakmarian, and Kungurian, respectively, and this trend was disrupted by a significant sea-level drop during early-middle Artinskian, which was comparable to sedimentary basins at different latitudes. The AWE and its associated marine transgression occurred no later than the late Artinskian according to rigorous biostratigraphic constraint. Large sea-level rise recorded in the Liangshan Member and Chihsia Formation is hypothesized to be the result of AWE climate change, which is regulated by the dynamic subsidence of the SCB and global concentrated volcanic eruptions since Artinskian. •First high-resolution South China paleogeography during Cisuralian.•Cisuralian sea-level change pattern in South China.•Biochronological constraint on the Artinskian Warming Event in South China.•Abrupt dynamic subsidence induced ultra-thick Chihsia Limestone.•Concentrated LIPs eruption accelerated climate warming.