Extreme eolian delivery of reactive iron to late Paleozoic icehouse seas

Abstract

Research Article| December 01, 2015 Extreme eolian delivery of reactive iron to late Paleozoic icehouse seas Sohini Sur; Sohini Sur 1School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jeremy D. Owens; Jeremy D. Owens 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of California–Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA3Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gerilyn S. Soreghan; Gerilyn S. Soreghan * 1School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA *E-mail: lsoreg@ou.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Timothy W. Lyons; Timothy W. Lyons 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of California–Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert Raiswell; Robert Raiswell 4School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nicholas G. Heavens; Nicholas G. Heavens 5Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia 23669, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Natalie M. Mahowald Natalie M. Mahowald 6Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Sohini Sur 1School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA Jeremy D. Owens 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of California–Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA3Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA Gerilyn S. Soreghan * 1School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA Timothy W. Lyons 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of California–Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA Robert Raiswell 4School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK Nicholas G. Heavens 5Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia 23669, USA Natalie M. Mahowald 6Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA *E-mail: lsoreg@ou.edu Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 04 Aug 2015 Revision Received: 09 Oct 2015 Accepted: 12 Oct 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2682 Print Issn: 0091-7613 © 2015 Geological Society of America Geology (2015) 43 (12): 1099–1102. https://doi.org/10.1130/G37226.1 Article history Received: 04 Aug 2015 Revision Received: 09 Oct 2015 Accepted: 12 Oct 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Sohini Sur, Jeremy D. Owens, Gerilyn S. Soreghan, Timothy W. Lyons, Robert Raiswell, Nicholas G. Heavens, Natalie M. Mahowald; Extreme eolian delivery of reactive iron to late Paleozoic icehouse seas. Geology 2015;; 43 (12): 1099–1102. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G37226.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The biogeochemical impacts of iron-rich dust to the oceans are known for Earth's recent record but unexplored for deep time, despite recognition of large ancient dust fluxes, particularly during the late Paleozoic. We report a unique Fe relationship for Upper Pennsylvanian mudrock of eolian origin that records lowstand (glacial) conditions within a carbonate buildup of western equatorial Pangaea (western United States) well removed from other detrital inputs. Here, reactive Fe unambiguously linked to dust is enriched without a corresponding increase in total Fe. More broadly, data from thick coeval loess deposits of western equatorial Pangaea show the same marked enrichment in reactive Fe. This enrichment—atypical compared to modern marine, fluvial, glacial, loess, and soil sediments—suggests an enhancement of the reactivity of the internal Fe pool that increased the bioavailability of the Fe for marine primary production. Regardless of the mechanism behind this enhancement, our data in combination with other evidence for high dust fluxes imply delivery of extraordinarily large amounts of biogeochemically reactive Fe to glacial-stage late Paleozoic seas, and modeling of this indicates major impacts on carbon cycling and attendant climatic feedbacks. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.