Records of Late Permian surface temperatures in continental Gondwana in isotope geochemistry of upper Permian early diagenetic calcite concretions
- Univ. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
- Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
We present geochemical and isotopic evidence of paleotemperatures from freshwater continental deposits from 55{degrees}S in interior southern Gondwana. Lacustrine shales host spheroidal concretions with abundant septarian cracks. Cement carbonate varies from 65% at the centre to 15% at the edges. Cistraccide remains are preserved. Septarian calcite occurs in dull and bright bands, with three distinct generations of vein-fills. Early-formed cement both in concretions and septarian veins is magnesium-rich whereas, later-formed carbonates are pure calcite. Carbon- and oxygen-isotope ratios (PDB) are: host shales, {delta}{sup 13}C= -4.36 to o.77{per_thousand}, {delta}{sup 18}O= -12.73 to -17.12{per_thousand}; concretion cements, {delta}{sup 13}C=+0.26 to {delta}{sup 18}O= -9.34{per_thousand}; and vein-fills, {delta}{sup 13}C= -7.05 to +1.09{per_thousand}, {delta}{sup 18}O= -8.28 to -18.24{per_thousand}. 13C and 18O ratios are depleted from the center of concretions to the periphery, as well as from the centre of veins to the tip. Near-surface cementation is suggested by textural evidence. {delta}18O in the range of -12.636{per_thousand} to -8.989 SMOW is calculated for the meteoric palaeowaters, from which average annual surface temperatures of 5-8{degrees}C are inferred. {delta}18O of early-formed cements also yields a mean annual surface temperature of 2-6{degrees}C. Based on continentality and palaeolatitudes of northern Malawi during the Late Permian, we propose that mean annual surface palaeotemperatures may have been as high as 10{degrees}C, similar to those found in modern continental temperate climates.
- OSTI ID:
- 427022
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960527-; TRN: 96:004994-0612
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Inc. and the Society for Sedimentary Geology: global exploration and geotechnology, San Diego, CA (United States), 19-22 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 1996 AAPG annual convention. Volume 5; PB: 231 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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