Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations

Adam D. Sproson; Philip A.E. Pogge von Strandmann; David Selby; Emilia Jarochowska; Jiří Frýda; Jindřich Hladil; David K. Loydell; Ladislav Slavík; Mikael Calner; Georg Maier; Axel Munnecke; Timothy M. Lenton

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260

Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations

Adam D. Sproson
, Philip A.E. Pogge von Strandmann
, David Selby
, Emilia Jarochowska
, Jiří Frýda
, Jindřich Hladil
, David K. Loydell
, Ladislav Slavík
, Mikael Calner
, Georg Maier
, Axel Munnecke
, Timothy M. Lenton

extern

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The Ordovician (∼487 to 443 Ma) ended with the formation of extensive Southern Hemisphere ice
sheets, known as the Hirnantian glaciation, and the second largest mass extinction in Earth History. It
was followed by the Silurian (∼443 to 419 Ma), one of the most climatically unstable periods of the
Phanerozoic as evidenced by several large scale (> 5) carbon isotope (δ13C) perturbations associated
with further extinction events. Despite several decades of research, the cause of these environmental
instabilities remains enigmatic. Here, we provide osmium (
187Os/188Os) and lithium (δ7Li) isotope
measurements of marine sedimentary rocks that cover four Silurian δ13C excursions. Osmium and Li
isotope records resemble those previously recorded for the Hirnantian glaciation suggesting a similar
causal mechanism. When combined with a new dynamic carbon-osmium-lithium biogeochemical model
we suggest that astronomical forcing of the marine organic carbon cycle, as opposed to a decline in
volcanic arc degassing or the rise of early land plants, resulted in drawdown of atmospheric CO2,
triggering continental scale glaciation, intense global cooling and eustatic sea-level lows recognised in
the geological record. Lower atmospheric pCO2 and temperatures during the Hirnantian and Silurian
glaciations suppressed CO2 removal by silicate weathering, driving 187Os/188Os and δ7Li variability,
supporting the existence of climate-regulating feedbacks.

Original language	English
Article number	117260
Pages (from-to)	1-13
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	577
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
A.D. Sproson would like to thank the Geological Society of London and the College of St. Hild and St. Bede (Durham University) and County Durham Community Foundation for partially funding this research through the William George Fearnsides Fund ( 034713 ) and John Simpson Greenwell Memorial Fund ( A326624 ), respectively. P.A.E. Pogge von Strandmann acknowledges financial support from the ERC grant 682760 CONTROLPASTCO2. D. Selby acknowledges support from the TOTAL Endowment Fund and the Dida Scholarship of CUG Wuhan . J. Frýda was supported by GACR (grant No. 17-18120S ). T.M. Lenton was supported by NERC ( NE/N018508/1 , NE/P013651/1 ). L. Slavík was supported by GACR (grant No. GA17-06700S ) and together with J. Hladil received institutional support from RVO 67985831 . Finally, we would like to thank T. Lyons and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Hirnantian glaciation
Silurian palaeoclimate
eccentricity and precession
orbital obliquity
osmium ( Os/ Os) and lithium (δ Li) isotopes
silicate weathering

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260

Cite this

Sproson, A. D., Strandmann, P. A. E. P. V., Selby, D., Jarochowska, E., Frýda, J., Hladil, J., Loydell, D. K., Slavík, L., Calner, M., Maier, G., Munnecke, A., & Lenton, T. M. (2022). Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 577, 1-13. Article 117260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260

@article{1b40d88c5cae402294cb1a2073d82622,

title = "Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations",

abstract = "The Ordovician (∼487 to 443 Ma) ended with the formation of extensive Southern Hemisphere ice sheets, known as the Hirnantian glaciation, and the second largest mass extinction in Earth History. It was followed by the Silurian (∼443 to 419 Ma), one of the most climatically unstable periods of the Phanerozoic as evidenced by several large scale (> 5) carbon isotope (δ13C) perturbations associated with further extinction events. Despite several decades of research, the cause of these environmental instabilities remains enigmatic. Here, we provide osmium ( 187Os/188Os) and lithium (δ7Li) isotope measurements of marine sedimentary rocks that cover four Silurian δ13C excursions. Osmium and Li isotope records resemble those previously recorded for the Hirnantian glaciation suggesting a similar causal mechanism. When combined with a new dynamic carbon-osmium-lithium biogeochemical model we suggest that astronomical forcing of the marine organic carbon cycle, as opposed to a decline in volcanic arc degassing or the rise of early land plants, resulted in drawdown of atmospheric CO2, triggering continental scale glaciation, intense global cooling and eustatic sea-level lows recognised in the geological record. Lower atmospheric pCO2 and temperatures during the Hirnantian and Silurian glaciations suppressed CO2 removal by silicate weathering, driving 187Os/188Os and δ7Li variability, supporting the existence of climate-regulating feedbacks.",

keywords = "Hirnantian glaciation, Silurian palaeoclimate, eccentricity and precession, orbital obliquity, osmium ( Os/ Os) and lithium (δ Li) isotopes, silicate weathering",

author = "Sproson, \{Adam D.\} and Strandmann, \{Philip A.E. Pogge von\} and David Selby and Emilia Jarochowska and Ji{\v r}{\'i} Fr{\'y}da and Jind{\v r}ich Hladil and Loydell, \{David K.\} and Ladislav Slav{\'i}k and Mikael Calner and Georg Maier and Axel Munnecke and Lenton, \{Timothy M.\}",

note = "Funding Information: A.D. Sproson would like to thank the Geological Society of London and the College of St. Hild and St. Bede (Durham University) and County Durham Community Foundation for partially funding this research through the William George Fearnsides Fund ( 034713 ) and John Simpson Greenwell Memorial Fund ( A326624 ), respectively. P.A.E. Pogge von Strandmann acknowledges financial support from the ERC grant 682760 CONTROLPASTCO2. D. Selby acknowledges support from the TOTAL Endowment Fund and the Dida Scholarship of CUG Wuhan . J. Fr{\'y}da was supported by GACR (grant No. 17-18120S ). T.M. Lenton was supported by NERC ( NE/N018508/1 , NE/P013651/1 ). L. Slav{\'i}k was supported by GACR (grant No. GA17-06700S ) and together with J. Hladil received institutional support from RVO 67985831 . Finally, we would like to thank T. Lyons and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2022",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260",

language = "English",

volume = "577",

pages = "1--13",

journal = "Earth and Planetary Science Letters",

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Sproson, AD, Strandmann, PAEPV, Selby, D, Jarochowska, E, Frýda, J, Hladil, J, Loydell, DK, Slavík, L, Calner, M, Maier, G, Munnecke, A & Lenton, TM 2022, 'Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations', Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 577, 117260, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260

Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations. / Sproson, Adam D.; Strandmann, Philip A.E. Pogge von; Selby, David et al.
In: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 577, 117260, 01.01.2022, p. 1-13.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations

AU - Sproson, Adam D.

AU - Strandmann, Philip A.E. Pogge von

AU - Selby, David

AU - Jarochowska, Emilia

AU - Frýda, Jiří

AU - Hladil, Jindřich

AU - Loydell, David K.

AU - Slavík, Ladislav

AU - Calner, Mikael

AU - Maier, Georg

AU - Munnecke, Axel

AU - Lenton, Timothy M.

N1 - Funding Information: A.D. Sproson would like to thank the Geological Society of London and the College of St. Hild and St. Bede (Durham University) and County Durham Community Foundation for partially funding this research through the William George Fearnsides Fund ( 034713 ) and John Simpson Greenwell Memorial Fund ( A326624 ), respectively. P.A.E. Pogge von Strandmann acknowledges financial support from the ERC grant 682760 CONTROLPASTCO2. D. Selby acknowledges support from the TOTAL Endowment Fund and the Dida Scholarship of CUG Wuhan . J. Frýda was supported by GACR (grant No. 17-18120S ). T.M. Lenton was supported by NERC ( NE/N018508/1 , NE/P013651/1 ). L. Slavík was supported by GACR (grant No. GA17-06700S ) and together with J. Hladil received institutional support from RVO 67985831 . Finally, we would like to thank T. Lyons and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2022/1/1

Y1 - 2022/1/1

N2 - The Ordovician (∼487 to 443 Ma) ended with the formation of extensive Southern Hemisphere ice sheets, known as the Hirnantian glaciation, and the second largest mass extinction in Earth History. It was followed by the Silurian (∼443 to 419 Ma), one of the most climatically unstable periods of the Phanerozoic as evidenced by several large scale (> 5) carbon isotope (δ13C) perturbations associated with further extinction events. Despite several decades of research, the cause of these environmental instabilities remains enigmatic. Here, we provide osmium ( 187Os/188Os) and lithium (δ7Li) isotope measurements of marine sedimentary rocks that cover four Silurian δ13C excursions. Osmium and Li isotope records resemble those previously recorded for the Hirnantian glaciation suggesting a similar causal mechanism. When combined with a new dynamic carbon-osmium-lithium biogeochemical model we suggest that astronomical forcing of the marine organic carbon cycle, as opposed to a decline in volcanic arc degassing or the rise of early land plants, resulted in drawdown of atmospheric CO2, triggering continental scale glaciation, intense global cooling and eustatic sea-level lows recognised in the geological record. Lower atmospheric pCO2 and temperatures during the Hirnantian and Silurian glaciations suppressed CO2 removal by silicate weathering, driving 187Os/188Os and δ7Li variability, supporting the existence of climate-regulating feedbacks.

AB - The Ordovician (∼487 to 443 Ma) ended with the formation of extensive Southern Hemisphere ice sheets, known as the Hirnantian glaciation, and the second largest mass extinction in Earth History. It was followed by the Silurian (∼443 to 419 Ma), one of the most climatically unstable periods of the Phanerozoic as evidenced by several large scale (> 5) carbon isotope (δ13C) perturbations associated with further extinction events. Despite several decades of research, the cause of these environmental instabilities remains enigmatic. Here, we provide osmium ( 187Os/188Os) and lithium (δ7Li) isotope measurements of marine sedimentary rocks that cover four Silurian δ13C excursions. Osmium and Li isotope records resemble those previously recorded for the Hirnantian glaciation suggesting a similar causal mechanism. When combined with a new dynamic carbon-osmium-lithium biogeochemical model we suggest that astronomical forcing of the marine organic carbon cycle, as opposed to a decline in volcanic arc degassing or the rise of early land plants, resulted in drawdown of atmospheric CO2, triggering continental scale glaciation, intense global cooling and eustatic sea-level lows recognised in the geological record. Lower atmospheric pCO2 and temperatures during the Hirnantian and Silurian glaciations suppressed CO2 removal by silicate weathering, driving 187Os/188Os and δ7Li variability, supporting the existence of climate-regulating feedbacks.

KW - Hirnantian glaciation

KW - Silurian palaeoclimate

KW - eccentricity and precession

KW - orbital obliquity

KW - osmium ( Os/ Os) and lithium (δ Li) isotopes

KW - silicate weathering

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85118509507

U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260

DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117260

M3 - Article

SN - 0012-821X

VL - 577

SP - 1

EP - 13

JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

M1 - 117260

ER -

Osmium and lithium isotope evidence for weathering feedbacks linked to orbitally paced organic carbon burial and Silurian glaciations

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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