Collapse of Late Permian chert factories in the equatorial Tethys and the nature of the Early Triassic chert gap

Yang F, Sun YD, Frings PJ, Luo L, E JW, Wang LN, Huang YF, Wang T, Müller J, Xie SC (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Earth and Planetary Science Letters Elsevier

Book Volume: 600

Article Number: 117861

DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117861

Abstract

Permian chert successions were geographically extensive, spanning from the palaeoequator to the northern high latitudes. Large-scale chert production was abruptly terminated in the latest Permian, resulting in a multi-million-year “chert gap” in the Early Triassic. In order to constrain the tempo of chert production changes and understand their nature, we combine proxy data with Si box model analyses and focus on the Talung Formation of South China—the most representative Upper Permian siliceous unit in the equatorial Tethys. Two deepwater sections from the northern margin of the Yangtze Platform were investigated, showing that bedded cherts had already become less common in the Clarkina changxingensis conodont zone. The waning of chert production coincided with water column deoxygenation and an increase in carbonate and siliciclastic components in the late Changhsingian. The final collapse of the chert factory in South China predated the negative δ13C excursion and climate warming but coincided with a sharp decrease in primary productivity. Together with Si box model output, we suggest that warming-induced expansion of the oceanic dissolved silica inventory (and decrease in burial efficiency) alone cannot maintain a multi-million-year chert gap. Instead, a loss of siliceous biomass during the end-Permian crisis is the primary cause of the Early Triassic chert demise.

Authors with CRIS profile

Johann Müller Lehrstuhl für Geologie (Exogene Dynamik)

Involved external institutions

China University of Geosciences / 中国地质大学 CN China (CN) Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum - GFZ DE Germany (DE) China University of Geosciences (Beijing College of Geology) / 中囯地质大学 CN China (CN)

How to cite

APA:

Yang, F., Sun, Y.D., Frings, P.J., Luo, L., E, J.W., Wang, L.N.,... Xie, S.C. (2022). Collapse of Late Permian chert factories in the equatorial Tethys and the nature of the Early Triassic chert gap. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 600. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117861

MLA:

Yang, F., et al. "Collapse of Late Permian chert factories in the equatorial Tethys and the nature of the Early Triassic chert gap." Earth and Planetary Science Letters 600 (2022).

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