Platinum-group elements of the Kuhjoch section (Austria) link the onsets of weathering of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province and the end-Triassic mass extinction

Research output: Contribution to conferenceConference abstract for conferenceResearchpeer-review

Documents

  • Fulltext

    Final published version, 290 KB, PDF document

  • Heiðrikur Mortensen
  • Rasmus Andreasen
  • Stéphane Bodin
  • Hamed Sanei
  • Thomas Ulrich
  • Sylvain Richoz
  • Lindström, Malin Sofie
  • Ambre Luguet
  • Lawrence Tanner
  • Christian Tegner
The end-Triassic mass extinction (ETME; c. 201.6 Ma), one of the so-called “big-five” mass extinctions in the Phanerozoic era, is associated with widespread marine anoxia, ocean acidification, global warming, carbon cycle perturbations (δ13C) and an extinction of diverse marine and terrestrial groups. This extinction is frequently linked to the volcanic activity in the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) which is often cited to explain e.g., the correlative negative carbon excursions across many sections, mutagenesis of land plants by Hg-toxicity, and enrichment of Hg/TOC. Despite this, the exact identification of a volcanic signal in many of these sections is not well constrained. In this study we present high-precision platinum group element (PGE: Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd) and Re data for the Triassic-Jurassic boundary succession at the Kuhjoch section (Austria). These are the first results from our new analytical setup using high-pressure asher digestion, isotope dilution and multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry for precise determination in low concentration (e.g. ppt) samples such as sediments. The PGE and Re concentrations and patterns vary significantly with stratigraphy. The c. 13 m of clayey sediments above the onset of the extinction (marked by the c. 16 cm thick T-bed) show pronounced enrichment in Pt, Pd and Ir concentrations relative to the under- and overlying carbonate dominated stratigraphy. Their PGE patterns are non-chondritic with Pd/Ir and Pt/Ir similar to CAMP basalts. Normalised for lithology (Al2O3), however, there are no significant variations in Pt, Pd and Ir values below, within and above the clayey sediments. Re and Ru are, however, depleted compared to the other PGEs in the clayey interval, something also observed in some CAMP basalts. One possibility is therefore to interpret the PGE-rich, clayey sediments, including the main extinction interval in the basal portion, as recording increased weathering of CAMP basalts. As the PGE enrichment increases up through the T-bed, this could show that the onset of CAMP weathering and mass extinction would have therefore coincided. However, further work is needed to identify the relative role of CAMP volatile emission during volcanic activity versus post-eruption weathering of basalts.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2023
Number of pages1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
EventEGU General Assembly 2023: Vienna, Austria & Online - Vienna, Austria
Duration: 24 Apr 202328 Apr 2023

Conference

ConferenceEGU General Assembly 2023
CountryAustria
CityVienna
Period24/04/202328/04/2023

    Research areas

  • Faculty of Science - end-Triassic crisis, mass extinction, large igneous province, Platinum group elements

Number of downloads are based on statistics from Google Scholar and www.ku.dk


No data available

ID: 345329249