The evolution of the marine carbonate factory

• Published in: Nature (London) 2023-03, Vol.615 (7951), p.265-269
• Main Authors: Wang, Jiuyuan, Tarhan, Lidya G., Jacobson, Andrew D., Oehlert, Amanda M., Planavsky, Noah J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 704/47/4113; 704/829/827; Animals; Aquatic Organisms - chemistry; Aquatic Organisms - metabolism; Archives & records; Biogeochemical cycles; Calcium carbonate; Calcium Carbonate - analysis; Calcium Carbonate - chemistry; Calcium Carbonate - metabolism; Carbon; Carbon - analysis; Carbon - chemistry; Carbon - metabolism; Carbon Sequestration; Carbonates; Carbonates - analysis; Carbonates - chemistry; Carbonates - metabolism; Dissolved inorganic carbon; Divergence; Evolution; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; History, Ancient; Humanities and Social Sciences; Isotopes; Mass spectrometry; Minerals; multidisciplinary; Ocean floor; Ocean-atmosphere interaction; Oceans; Pore water; Precambrian; Ratios; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Scientific imaging; Seawater; Seawater - analysis; Seawater - chemistry; Strontium; Strontium Isotopes
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05654-5

Calcium carbonate formation is the primary pathway by which carbon is returned from the ocean–atmosphere system to the solid Earth 1 , 2 . The removal of dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater by precipitation of carbonate minerals—the marine carbonate factory—plays a critical role in shaping marine biogeochemical cycling 1 , 2 . A paucity of empirical constraints has led to widely divergent views on how the marine carbonate factory has changed over time 3 – 5 . Here we use geochemical insights from stable strontium isotopes to provide a new perspective on the evolution of the marine carbonate factory and carbonate mineral saturation states. Although the production of carbonates in the surface ocean and in shallow seafloor settings have been widely considered the predominant carbonate sinks for most of the history of the Earth 6 , we propose that alternative processes—such as porewater production of authigenic carbonates—may have represented a major carbonate sink throughout the Precambrian. Our results also suggest that the rise of the skeletal carbonate factory decreased seawater carbonate saturation states. Geochemical insights from a dataset of carbonate stable strontium isotopes suggest that porewater production of authigenic carbonates may have been an overlooked carbonate sink for much of Earth’s history.