Organic matter provenance, palaeoproductivity and bottom water anoxia during the Cenomanian/Turonian oceanic anoxic event in the Newfoundland Basin (northern proto North Atlantic Ocean)

van Bentum, ECEC; Reichart, GG; Damste, JSS

HERO ID

4602514

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2012

Language

English

HERO ID 4602514
In Press No
Year 2012
Title Organic matter provenance, palaeoproductivity and bottom water anoxia during the Cenomanian/Turonian oceanic anoxic event in the Newfoundland Basin (northern proto North Atlantic Ocean)
Authors van Bentum, ECEC; Reichart, GG; Damste, JSS
Journal Organic Geochemistry
Volume 50
Page Numbers 11-18
Abstract Free and sulfur-bound biomarkers in sediments deposited in the northern proto North Atlantic (Newfoundland Basin, ODP Site 1276) during the Cenomanian-Turonian oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE-2) were studied. The delta C-13 records of phytane and lycopane confirmed the stratigraphic position of the positive carbon isotope excursion associated with OAE-2, previously reported for total organic carbon (TOC) and beta,beta-homohopane. Sediments before and after the OAE-2 interval were poor in organic matter (OM) and comprised numerous gravity flow deposits. The interval itself was composed of pelagic sediments with occasionally a much higher TOC content of up to 12.7%. The OAE-2 sediments were characterized by a low amount of terrestrial OM since the dominant biological sources of the biomarkers were aquatic in origin. High hopane, pentamethylicosane (PMI), and squalane abundances in the OM-rich sediments pointed to a relatively high input of prokaryotes, partly derived from cyanobacteria, as suggested by the occasional occurrence of 2-methylhopanes. PMI comprised both the regular and irregular isomer and changes in the delta C-13 of PMI are thought to reflect contributions from methanogenic and methanotrophic archea. The high relative concentration of lycopane indicated that bottom water conditions were anoxic during large parts of the OAE-2 interval. In one horizon, trace amounts of isorenieratane provided evidence for the occasional occurrence of photic zone anoxia. Taken together, the data imply that oceanic anoxia, and probably also high productivity, reached the northernmost part of the proto-North Atlantic during OAE-2, albeit that photic zone anoxia was much less common than in the southern proto-North Atlantic. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Doi 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2012.05.013
Wosid WOS:000308350100002
Url https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/organic-matter-provenance-palaeoproductivity/docview/1694487334/se-2?accountid=171501
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword article; anaerobic conditions; biomarkers; carbon; euphotic zone; gravity; hypoxia; isomers; isotopes; methanogens; organic matter; prokaryotic cells; provenance; sediment deposition; sediments; Atlantic Ocean