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Mercury anomalies associated with three extinction events (Capitanian Crisis, Latest Permian Extinction and the Smithian/Spathian Extinction) in NW Pangea

Grasby, Stephen E.; Beauchamp, Benoit; Bond, David P.G.; Wignall, Paul B.; Sanei, Hamed

Authors

Stephen E. Grasby

Benoit Beauchamp

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David Bond D.Bond@hull.ac.uk
Palaeoenvironmental Scientist and Schools Liason Officer

Paul B. Wignall

Hamed Sanei



Abstract

Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015. Strata of Permian - Early Triassic age that include a record of three major extinction events (Capitanian Crisis, Latest Permian Extinction and the Smithian/Spathian Extinction) were examined at the Festningen section, Spitsbergen. Over the c. 12 Ma record examined, mercury in the sediments shows relatively constant background values of 0.005-0.010 μg g -1 . However, there are notable spikes in Hg concentration over an order of magnitude above background associated with the three extinctions. The Hg/total organic carbon (TOC) ratio shows similar large spikes, indicating that they represent a true increase in Hg loading to the environment. We argue that these represent Hg loading events associated with enhanced Hg emissions from large igneous province (LIP) events that are synchronous with the extinctions. The Hg anomalies are consistent across the NW margin of Pangea, indicating that widespread mercury loading occurred. While this provides utility as a chemostratigraphic marker the Hg spikes may also indicate loading of toxic metals to the environment, a contributing cause to the mass extinction events.

Citation

Grasby, S. E., Beauchamp, B., Bond, D. P., Wignall, P. B., & Sanei, H. (2016). Mercury anomalies associated with three extinction events (Capitanian Crisis, Latest Permian Extinction and the Smithian/Spathian Extinction) in NW Pangea. Geological magazine, 153(2), 285-297. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756815000436

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 21, 2015
Online Publication Date Jul 15, 2015
Publication Date Mar 1, 2016
Deposit Date Oct 29, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Geological magazine
Print ISSN 0016-7568
Electronic ISSN 1469-5081
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Volume 153
Issue 2
Pages 285-297
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756815000436
Keywords Mercury, Early Triassic, Latest Permian extinction, Chemostratigraphy
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/380575
Publisher URL http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9860315&fileId=S0016756815000436
Additional Information Author's accepted manuscript of article published in Geological magazine, 2016, v.153 issue 2.

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