Globally asynchronous sulphur isotope signals require re-definition of the Great Oxidation Event
Type | Article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date | 2018-06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Language | English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Author(s) | Philippot Pascal1, 2, Avila Janaina N.3, Killingsworth Bryan A.4, Tessalina Svetlana![]() |
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Affiliation(s) | 1 : Univ Paris Diderot, Inst Phys Globe Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite, CNRS, 1 Rue Jussieu, F-75238 Paris, France. 2 : Univ Montpellier, Geosci Montpellier, CNRS, UMR 5243, F-34095 Montpellier, France. 3 : Australian Natl Univ, Res Sch Earth Sci, 142 Mills Rd, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. 4 : European Inst Marine Studies, UMR6538, Lab Geociences Ocean, Pl Nicolas Copernic, F-29280 Plouzane, France. 5 : Curtin Univ, John de Laeter Ctr Isotope Res, Fac Sci & Engn, Bld 301,GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. 6 : Univ Bourgogne Franche Comte, UMR Biogeosci UB6282, CNRS, 6 Bd Gabriel, F-21000 Dijon, France. 7 : Univ New South Wales, Sch Biol Earth & Environm Sci, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia. 8 : Uruguay Technol Univ UTEC, Dept Environm Sci, Francisco Antonio Maciel 97000, Durazno, Uruguay. |
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Source | Nature Communications (2041-1723) (Nature Publishing Group), 2018-06 , Vol. 9 , N. 2245 , P. 10p. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DOI | 10.1038/s41467-018-04621-x | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WOS© Times Cited | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abstract | The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) has been defined as the time interval when sufficient atmospheric oxygen accumulated to prevent the generation and preservation of mass-independent fractionation of sulphur isotopes (MIF-S) in sedimentary rocks. Existing correlations suggest that the GOE was rapid and globally synchronous. Here we apply sulphur isotope analysis of diagenetic sulphides combined with U-Pb and Re-Os geochronology to document the sulphur cycle evolution in Western Australia spanning the GOE. Our data indicate that, from similar to 2.45 Gyr to beyond 2.31 Gyr, MIF-S was preserved in sulphides punctuated by several episodes of MIF-S disappearance. These results establish the MIF-S record as asynchronous between South Africa, North America and Australia, argue for regional-scale modulation of MIF-S memory effects due to oxidative weathering after the onset of the GOE, and suggest that the current paradigm of placing the GOE at 2.33-2.32 Ga based on the last occurrence of MIF-S in South Africa should be re-evaluated. |
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