Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Carbon sequestration activated by a volcanic CO2 pulse during Ocean Anoxic Event 2

Nature Geoscience volume 3, pages 205–208 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The Cretaceous Ocean Anoxic Event 2 (about 94 million years ago) is thought to be linked to extensive volcanism, which triggered a biogeochemical chain of events that eventually led to widespread marine anoxia and a remarkable increase in carbon burial in marine sediments1,2,3. It has been suggested that the event was accompanied by a substantial decrease in atmospheric CO2 concentrations4, but the quantification of the drawdown remains controversial5,6. Here we reconstruct atmospheric CO2 concentrations throughout the ocean anoxic event from counts of the stomata in fossil leaves, and use terrestrial carbon isotopes to link the reconstruction to marine records of the event7,8. We find that before the onset of ocean anoxia, atmospheric CO2 concentrations increased by 20% over background levels of 370+100/−70 ppm. This was part of a long-term rise in atmospheric CO2 levels, presumably caused by volcanism, which reached a peak of 500+400/−180 ppm. However, two pulses of extensive carbon burial during the ocean anoxic event, as indicated by positive carbon isotope excursions, are associated with decreased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We conclude that the sequestration of marine organic carbon led to a decrease in atmospheric CO2 concentration of up to 26% during Ocean Anoxic Event 2.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Latest Cenomanian palaeogeography and study area.
Figure 2: Stomatal estimates of relative CO2 and terrestrial δ13C through OAE2.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kuroda, J. et al. Contemporaneous massive subaerial volcanism and Late Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 256, 211–223 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Frijia, G. & Parente, M. Strontium isotope stratigraphy in the upper Cenomanian shallow-water carbonates of the southern Apennines: Short-term perturbations of marine Sr-87/Sr-86 during the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 261, 15–29 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Turgeon, S. C. & Creaser, R. A. Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 triggered by a massive magmatic episode. Nature 454, 323–329 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Arthur, M. A., Dean, W. E. & Pratt, L. M. Geochemical and climatic effects of increased marine organic carbon burial at the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary. Nature 335, 714–717 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Freeman, K. H. & Hayes, J. M. Fractionation of carbon isotopes by phytoplankton and estimates of ancient CO2 levels. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycles 6, 185–198 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kuypers, M. M. M., Pancost, R. D. & Damste, J. S. S. A large and abrupt fall in atmospheric CO2 concentration during Cretaceous times. Nature 399, 342–345 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Laurin, J. & Sageman, B. Cenomanian–Turonian coastal record in SW Utah, USA: Orbital scale transgressive-regressive events during Oceanic Anoxic Event II. J. Sedim. Res. 77, 731–756 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sageman, B. B., Meyers, S. R. & Arthur, M. A. Orbital timescale and new C-isotope record for Cenomanian–Turonian boundary stratotype. Geology 34, 125–128 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Leckie, R. M., Bralower, T. J. & Cashman, R. Oceanic anoxic events and plankton evolution: Biotic response to tectonic forcing during the mid-Cretaceous. Paleoceanography 17, 13.11–13.29 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Schlanger, S. O. & Jenkyns, H. C. Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events: Causes and consequences. Geol. Mijnb. 55, 179–184 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tsikos, H. et al. Carbon-isotope stratigraphy recorded by the Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event: Correlation and implications based on three key localities. J. Geol. Soc. 161, 711–719 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jenkyns, H. C., Gale, A. S. & Corfield, R. M. Carbon-isotope and oxygen-isotope stratigraphy of the English Chalk and Italian Scaglia and its paleoclimatic significance. Geol. Mag. 131, 1–34 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Woodward, F. I. Stomatal numbers are sensitive to increases in CO2 from preindustrial levels. Nature 327, 617–618 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Royer, D. L., Berner, R. A. & Beerling, D. J. Phanerozoic atmospheric CO2 change: Evaluating geochemical and paleobiological approaches. Earth Sci. Rev. 54, 349–392 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. McElwain, J. C., Wade-Murphy, J. & Hesselbo, S. P. Changes in carbon dioxide during an oceanic anoxic event linked to intrusion into Gondwana coals. Nature 435, 479–482 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Elder, W. P., Gustason, E. R. & Sageman, B. B. Basinwide correlation of parasequences in the Greenhorn Cyclothem, Western Interior. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 106, 892–902 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Elder, W. P. Geometry of upper Cretaceous bentonite beds—implications about volcanic source areas and paleowind patterns, Western Interior, United-States. Geology 16, 835–838 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hook, S. C. Contributions to mid-Cretaceous paleontology and stratigraphy of New Mexico—part II. New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Circular 185 (1983).

  19. Royer, D. L. et al. Paleobotanical evidence for near present-day levels of atmospheric CO2 during part of the Tertiary. Science 292, 2310–2313 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kürschner, W. M., Kvaček, Z. & Dilcher, D. L. The impact of Miocene atmospheric carbon dioxide fluctuations on climate and the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 449–453 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Mort, H. P. et al. Phosphorus and the roles of productivity and nutrient recycling during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. Geology 35, 483–486 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gedney, N. et al. Detection of a direct carbon dioxide effect in continental river runoff records. Nature 439, 838–838 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Royer, D. L. CO2-forced climate thresholds during the Phanerozoic. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 70, 5665–5675 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Huber, B. T., Norris, R. D. & MacLeod, K. G. Deep-sea paleotemperature record of extreme warmth during the Cretaceous. Geology 30, 123–126 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Sinton, C. W. & Duncan, R. A. Potential links between ocean plateau volcanism and global ocean anoxia at the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary. Econ. Geol. 92, 836–842 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Gale, A. S. & Christensen, W. K. Occurrence of the belemnite Actinocamax plenus in the Cenomanian of SE France and its significance. Bull. Geol. Soc. Denmark 43, 68–77 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Forster, A., Schouten, S., Moriya, K., Wilson, P. A. & Damsté, J. S. S. Tropical warming and intermittent cooling during the Cenomanian/Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event 2: Sea surface temperature records from the equatorial Atlantic. Paleoceanography 22, PA1219 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Quan, C., Sun, C., Sun, Y. & Sun, G. High resolution estimates of paleo-CO2 levels through the Campanian (Late Cretaceous) based on Ginkgo cuticles. Cretac. Res. 30, 424–428 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. IPCC Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis (eds Solomon, S. et al.) (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007).

  30. Uličný, D. Sequence stratigraphy of the Dakota Formation (Cenomanian), southern Utah: Interplay of eustasy and tectonics in a foreland basin. Sedimentology 46, 807–836 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Major financial support came from a National Science Foundation Grant (EAR0643290) to B.B.S. and J.C.M., a Marie Curie Excellence Grant (MEXT-CT-2006-042531) to J.C.M. and student grants to R.S.B. from the Geological Society of America, Evolving Earth Foundation, Colorado Science Society and Western Interior Paleontology Society, and the Paleontological Society Fieldwork assistance came from C. Carney, J. Laurin, J. Riser and K. Yedinak. Private land access was granted by P. Davis, BLM land by A. Titus and D. Powell (GSENM) and NPS land by J. Spence (Glen Canyon NRA). M. Hurtgen, J. Beard, K. Peeler, P. Sheaffova and P. McVary assisted with isotope analysis. G. R. Upchurch suggested H. zenkeri as a suitable modern analogue species; herbarium specimens were provided by The Field Museum and the Kew Herbarium (sampled by G. Giraud).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, 1850 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois, 60208, USA

    Richard S. Barclay & Bradley B. Sageman

  2. School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Jennifer C. McElwain

Authors
  1. Richard S. Barclay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jennifer C. McElwain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bradley B. Sageman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

R.S.B. was responsible for collection, processing and analysis of data, and was principal author of the manuscript. J.C.M. and B.B.S. designed the study, contributed equally in interpreting results and editing the manuscript, and gathering the principal financial support.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard S. Barclay.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information (PDF 1427 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barclay, R., McElwain, J. & Sageman, B. Carbon sequestration activated by a volcanic CO2 pulse during Ocean Anoxic Event 2. Nature Geosci 3, 205–208 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo757

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo757

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology