The large decline in carbonate $\delta^{238}$U from a PETM section at Tingri (South Tibet) was driven by local sea-level changes, not global oceanic anoxia

Zhang, Qinghai; Ding, Lin; Chen, Xinming; Brennecka, Gregory A.; Sun, Yali; Ma, Xuesong; Gao, Bintao; Zhang, Qian; Willems, Helmut

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118164

The large decline in carbonate $$\delta^{238}$$U from a PETM section at Tingri (South Tibet) was driven by local sea-level changes, not global oceanic anoxia

Journal Article · Mon Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Earth and Planetary Science Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118164· OSTI ID:1971297

^[1]; Ding, Lin ^[1]; Chen, Xinming ^[2]; Brennecka, Gregory A. ^[3]; Sun, Yali ^[4]; Ma, Xuesong ^[1]; ^[1]; Zhang, Qian ^[1]; Willems, Helmut ^[5]

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)
University of Bremen (Germany)

Uranium isotope compositions (δ²³⁸) and Th/U in carbonates are being explored as paleoredox proxies to study global oceanic anoxia. However, the impact of changes to local depositional environments that might cause a decline in δ²³⁸U and an increase in Th/U has not been thoroughly investigated. Here we report a decline in δ²³⁸U (from +0.1 to -0.3‰) and an increase in Th/U from shallow-marine carbonates during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum at Tingri (south Tibet). Changes of δ²³⁸U and Th/U are not fully coupled. The decline in δ²³⁸U coincided with a local sea-level fall, whereas the increase in Th/U occurred mainly during a sea-level rise. The decline in δ²³⁸U likely results from changes in redox conditions of pore waters and in primary carbonate mineralogy. The increase in Th/U is ascribed to reduced authigenic U(IV) accumulation. Here our results suggest that changes in local depositional environments can cause behavior of δ²³⁸U and Th/U resembling that induced by expanded global oceanic anoxia. This finding calls for caution to consider local factors before applying δ²³⁸U and Th/U as global paleoredox proxies.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Program; National Natural Science Foundation of China; Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program; USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1971297

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2000209

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-842119; 1064277

Journal Information:: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Journal Name: Earth and Planetary Science Letters Journal Issue: na Vol. 612; ISSN 0012-821X

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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58 GEOSCIENCES
oceanic anoxia
paleocene-eocene thermal maximum
paleoredox proxy
sea-level changes
south Tibet
uranium isotope

The large decline in carbonate $$\delta^{238}$$U from a PETM section at Tingri (South Tibet) was driven by local sea-level changes, not global oceanic anoxia

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