Rapid light carbon releases and increased aridity linked to Karoo-Ferrar magmatism during the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event.

Large-scale release of isotopically light carbon is responsible for the carbon isotope excursion (CIE) of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event during the Lower Jurassic. Proposed sources include methane hydrate dissociation, volcanogenic outgassing of carbon dioxide and/or thermogenic methane release from the Karoo-Ferrar magmatic province (southern Africa). Distinct small-scale shifts superimposed on the long-term CIE have been interpreted as rapid methane pulses linked to astronomically forced climate changes. In the Peniche reference section (Portugal), these small-scale shifts correspond to distinct brownish marly layers featuring markedly high mercury (Hg) and magnetic mineral concentration. Total organic carbon and Hg increase are uncorrelated, which suggests input of Hg into the atmosphere, possibly released after the intrusion of the Karoo-Ferrar sills into organic-rich sediments. Enhanced magnetic properties are associated with the presence of martite, washed-in oxidized magnetite, inferred to be due to increased aridity on the continental hinterland. This study provides strong evidence for a direct link between the Karoo-Ferrar magmatism, the carbon-isotope shifts and the resulting environmental changes.

End-Cretaceous akaganéite as a mineral marker of Deccan volcanism in the sedimentary record.

An enigmatic chloride-rich iron (oxyhydr)oxide has been recently identified together with mercury anomalies in End-Cretaceous marine sediments coeval with the Deccan Traps eruptions. The mineral was observed in Bidart (France) and Gubbio (Italy), suggesting a widespread phenomenon. However, the exact nature and origin of this Cl-bearing mineral remained speculative. Here, we characterized the accurate composition and nanostructure of this chloride-rich phase by using micro-Raman spectroscopy, Transmission (TEM) and Scanning (SEM) Electron Microscopy on Focused Ion Beam foils. We also provide new evidence of its occurrence in Zumaia, a reference KPg section from Spain. Results confirm akaganéite (ß-FeOOH) as the main phase, with chloride content of 3-5 atomic weight %. Akaganéite particles are constituted by the aggregation of nanorods of akaganéite. Internal structures contain empty spaces, suggesting formation in a low-density (atmospheric) environment. This new mineralogical evidence supports the hypothesis that the observed akaganéite was formed in the Deccan volcanic plume and was transported to the Atlantic and Tethysian realms through the stratosphere. Therefore, akaganéite provides a potential new sedimentary marker to identify the imprint of the Deccan eruptions in the stratigraphic record and is evidence of volcanic halogen degassing and its potential role for the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction.