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Abrupt episode of mid-Cretaceous ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanism

Nature Geoscience volume 16, pages 169–174 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Large-igneous-province volcanic activity during the mid-Cretaceous triggered a global-scale episode of reduced marine oxygen levels known as Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 approximately 94.5 million years ago. It has been hypothesized that this geologically rapid degassing of volcanic carbon dioxide altered seawater carbonate chemistry, affecting marine ecosystems, geochemical cycles and sedimentation. Here we report on two sites drilled by the International Ocean Discovery Program offshore of southwest Australia that exhibit clear evidence for suppressed pelagic carbonate sedimentation in the form of a stratigraphic interval barren of carbonate minerals, recording ocean acidification during the event. We then use the osmium isotopic composition of bulk sediments to directly link this protracted ~600 kyr shoaling of the marine calcite compensation depth to the onset of volcanic activity. This decrease in marine pH was prolonged by biogeochemical feedbacks in highly productive regions where elevated heterotrophic respiration added carbon dioxide to the water column. A compilation of mid-Cretaceous marine stratigraphic records reveals a contemporaneous decrease of sedimentary carbonate content at continental slope sites globally. Thus, we contend that changes in marine carbonate chemistry are a primary ecological stress and important consequence of rapid emission of carbon dioxide during many large-igneous-province eruptions in the geologic past.

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Fig. 1: Carbonate sedimentation trends through OAE2.
Fig. 2: Chemostratigraphy and core photos of the OAE2 interval at IODP Site U1516 (eastern Indian Ocean).
Fig. 3: Modeling of marine osmium geochemistry through OAE2.

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Data availability

All geochemical data measured for this study are available as a Zenodo data repository item (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7182186). Core-scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data for Site U1516 are available through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) at https://web.iodp.tamu.edu/LORE/.

Code availability

Matlab and R codes for inverse box modelling of isotopic records are available as a Zenodo data repository item (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7182186).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the dedication of the IODP Expedition 369 Science Party, technicians and crew in coring Site U1516; analytical support of A. Hofmann, C. Ottley and G. Nowell at Durham University; and assistance of B. Levay with XRF core scanning. This research was funded by a US Science Support Program (USSSP) Post-Expedition Award to M.M.J., and box modelling and carbonate compilations represent doctoral research of M.M.J., funded partly by National Science Foundation grant 1338312 to B.B.S. M.M.J. acknowledges support from the Smithsonian Peter Buck Fellowship; D.S. acknowledges the TOTAL endowment fund; L.R. acknowledges support from IODP-France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Matthew M. Jones, Bradley B. Sageman & Andrew D. Jacobson

  2. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA

    Matthew M. Jones & Brian T. Huber

  3. Department of Earth Science, University of Durham, Durham, UK

    David Selby & Richard W. Hobbs

  4. Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l’Oceà, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Sietske J. Batenburg

  5. Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

    Laurent Riquier

  6. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Kenneth G. MacLeod

  7. School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

    Kenneth G. MacLeod

  8. Camborne School of Mines, College of Engineering, Math and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK

    Kara A. Bogus

  9. Institute for Marine Geodynamics (IMG), Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan

    Maria Luisa G. Tejada

  10. Department of Ocean Floor Geoscience, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan

    Junichiro Kuroda

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  1. Matthew M. Jones
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Contributions

Study conceptualization was by M.M.J., B.B.S. and A.D.J. Geochemical analyses were done by M.M.J., D.S., S.J.B., L.R., K.G.M. and K.A.B. Fieldwork and core collection were handled by B.T.H., R.W.H., K.A.B., M.L.G.T., J.K., S.J.B., L.R., K.G.M. and M.M.J. The original manuscript draft was by M.M.J., B.B.S., D.S., A.D.J., K.G.M., S.J.B. and L.R. Modelling analyses were by M.M.J., S.J.B., M.L.G.T. and J.K. All authors contributed to manuscript editing.

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Correspondence to Matthew M. Jones.

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Extended data

Extended Data Fig. 1 Map of International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1516 (yellow circle).

Additional sites cored during IODP Expedition 369 in the Mentelle Basin offshore southwest Australia are displayed (modified from108). Bathymetric contour interval of 500 meters. DSDP = Deep Sea Drilling Program.

Extended Data Fig. 2 Stratigraphic correlation of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval at IODP Site U1516 to the Portland Core near the base Turonian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) in Colorado, USA.

Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2) is defined by a positive carbon isotope (δ13C) excursion (grey shading). The correlation is based on: 1) the base and termination of the δ13C excursion27, 2) the anomalously high 192Os abundance interval (light purple dashed line) linked to large igneous province (LIP) volcanic activity19, 3) the base of the initial osmium isotope (187/188Osi) excursion associated with LIP volcanism at the base of OAE219, and 4) bandpassed ~100 kyr-short eccentricity cycles. Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy independently supports the correlation as the CC10a/CC10b subzone boundary, approximated by the last occurrence (LO) of Axopodorhabdus albianus, falls in the carbonate barren interval at Site U151627 and lower OAE2 interval in Portland Core109. Site U1516 data sources: δ13C data27, Os data and and cyclostratigraphy (this study). Portland Core data sources: Os data20, δ13C data16 (figure adapted from17). kcps = kilocounts per second; VPDB = Vienna Peedee Belemnite scale; ppt = parts per trillion; CCD = calcite compensation depth.

Extended Data Fig. 3 REDFIT power spectra of Fe XRF scanning data from IODP Site U1516.

Plots span intervals of A: 455.2–467.4 m rCCSF; B: 467.4–470.7 m rCCSF and C: 470.7–481.8 m rCCSF, using a Welch window with 80%, 90%, 95% and 99% confidence levels, and main periodicities indicated.

Extended Data Fig. 4 Floating astrochronology for the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval at IODP Site U1516.

This is based on a short eccentricity bandpass ~100-kyr filter of the cyclic Fe XRF scanning data from Hole U1516D. Squares in right pane show sedimentation rate estimates from the bandpass filter and dashed line shows an average sedimentation rate of 0.8 cm/kyr for the general interval from shipboard nannofossil biostratigraphy26. The unradiogenic Osi excursion marks the onset of LIP volcanism several tens of kiloyear before the initiation of the OAE2 carbon isotope excursion in most conformable sites17,19,20,60,61. The base of the Osi excursion has been dated to 94.55 ± 0.1 Ma17 and ~94.9 Ma62, providing scenarios for absolute numerical age tie points for the Site U1516 record.

Extended Data Fig. 5 Additional plot of box modeling results for marine 187/188Os.

This includes the scenario of large igneous province (LIP) volcanism (top panel, A) and a second scenario (bottom panel, B) where fluxes of radiogenic osmium from continental weathering (Friv) are set to increase by 80% for 500 kiloyears through Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2)29. An increase in Friv necessitates an even larger increase in the flux of unradiogenic osmium from large igneous province sources (FLIP) by as much as 50x larger than background mantle/volcanic fluxes. Model outputs are plotted against initial osmium isotope ratio data (Osi) through OAE2 from IODP Site U1516 in the Indian Ocean (circle symbols and dotted line, this study) and the Angus Core in the Western Interior Basin of North America17.

Extended Data Table 1 Model parameters for Late Cretaceous marine Os fluxes and model initial conditions
Full size table
Extended Data Table 2 Modeled large igneous province Os flux (FLIP) values through time used to perturb the marine Os reservoir during OAE2
Full size table
Extended Data Table 3 A global compilation of carbonate contents (wt.% CaCO3) pre-OAE2 and during OAE2 from 35 sites
Full size table

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Figs. 1–5.

Supplementary Table 1

Multi-tab Excel spreadsheet of geochemical data measured for study and bandpass filtering output

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Jones, M.M., Sageman, B.B., Selby, D. et al. Abrupt episode of mid-Cretaceous ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanism. Nat. Geosci. 16, 169–174 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01115-w

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