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Massive dissociation of gas hydrate during a Jurassic oceanic anoxic event

Nature volume 406, pages 392–395 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

In the Jurassic period, the Early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (about 183 million years ago) is associated with exceptionally high rates of organic-carbon burial, high palaeotemperatures and significant mass extinction1,2,3,4. Heavy carbon-isotope compositions in rocks and fossils of this age have been linked to the global burial of organic carbon, which is isotopically light. In contrast, examples of light carbon-isotope values from marine organic matter of Early Toarcian age have been explained principally in terms of localized upwelling of bottom water enriched in 12C versus 13C (refs 1,2,5,6). Here, however, we report carbon-isotope analyses of fossil wood which demonstrate that isotopically light carbon dominated all the upper oceanic, biospheric and atmospheric carbon reservoirs, and that this occurred despite the enhanced burial of organic carbon. We propose that—as has been suggested for the Late Palaeocene thermal maximum, some 55 million years ago7—the observed patterns were produced by voluminous and extremely rapid release of methane from gas hydrate contained in marine continental-margin sediments.

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Figure 1: Palaeogeographic maps for Toarcian sections in northwestern Europe19,28.
Figure 2: Carbonate carbon-isotope data through selected European Toarcian sections.
Figure 3: Carbon-isotope data through the lower Whitby Mudstone, Hawsker Bottoms, Yorkshire.
Figure 4: Stratigraphic and carbon-isotope data through the upper Bagå Formation at Korsodde, southwestern Bornholm.

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Acknowledgements

We thank F. Surlyk and G. Pedersen for help with this study. Useful critical comments were provided by J. Hudson. Palaeoceanographic modelling was carried out by C.J.B. in part while at the Geological Institute, University of Copenhagen. Organic carbon-isotope analyses were carried out at the University of Oxford Radiocarbon Unit thanks to T. O'Connell and M. Humm. D.M. Jones and P. Donohoe helped with Py-GC-MS analysis. Scientific discussion with L. Nielsen, G. Henderson and C. Jones is gratefully acknowledged. D.R.G. is funded by ESSO, C.J.B. by the Danish Natural Science Research Council, and H.S.M.B. by a NERC–industrial consortium (Rapid Global Geological Events project).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PR , UK

    Stephen P. Hesselbo, Darren R. Gröcke, Hugh C. Jenkyns, Helen S. Morgans Bell & Owen R. Green

  2. Danish Centre for Earth System Science, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100, Denmark

    Christian J. Bjerrum

  3. Fossil Fuels and Environmental Geochemistry, Drummond Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne , NE1 7RU, UK

    Paul Farrimond

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Correspondence to Stephen P. Hesselbo.

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Hesselbo, S., Gröcke, D., Jenkyns, H. et al. Massive dissociation of gas hydrate during a Jurassic oceanic anoxic event. Nature 406, 392–395 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35019044

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