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Triple oxygen isotope evidence for elevated CO2 levels after a Neoproterozoic glaciation

Author

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  • Huiming Bao

    (E235 Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA)

  • J. R. Lyons

    (Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA)

  • Chuanming Zhou

    (State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China)

Abstract

Ancient atmospheres: Snowball Earth exit by proxy Information about the past composition of the Earth's atmosphere on geological timescales is hard to come by. So the debut of a new stable isotope proxy for ancient atmospheric condition is a notable event. The proxy, the triple oxygen isotope composition of sulphate from ancient evaporites and barites, exhibits variable negative oxygen-17 anomalies over the past 750 million years. The anomalies track atmospheric oxygen and in turn reflect the partial pressure of carbon disoide via a stratospheric ozone/carbon dioxide/oxygen photochemical reaction network. In line with modelling results, the proxy data point to a high-carbon dioxide atmosphere in the Early Cambrian compared to earlier eras. Significantly, the oxygen-17 anomalies of barites from Marinoan cap carbonates (∼ 635 million years ago) display a distinct negative spike, suggesting that carbon dioxide was still high when barite was precipitating in the cap carbonate sequences. This supports the Neoproterozoic 'snowball' Earth hypothesis and/or massive methane release after the Marinoan glaciation.

Suggested Citation

  • Huiming Bao & J. R. Lyons & Chuanming Zhou, 2008. "Triple oxygen isotope evidence for elevated CO2 levels after a Neoproterozoic glaciation," Nature, Nature, vol. 453(7194), pages 504-506, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:453:y:2008:i:7194:d:10.1038_nature06959
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06959
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    Cited by:

    1. Haiyang Wang & Yongbo Peng & Chao Li & Xiaobin Cao & Meng Cheng & Huiming Bao, 2023. "Sulfate triple-oxygen-isotope evidence confirming oceanic oxygenation 570 million years ago," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Lennart Ramme & Tatiana Ilyina & Jochem Marotzke, 2024. "Moderate greenhouse climate and rapid carbonate formation after Marinoan snowball Earth," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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