| Title | Isotopic signatures of mercury contamination in Latest Permian oceans |
| |
| Author | Grasby, S E ;
Shen, W; Yin, R; Gleason, J E; Blum, J D; Lepak, R F; Hurley, J P; Beauchamp, B |
| Source | Geology vol. 45, no. 1, 2016 p. 55-58, https://doi.org/10.1130/G38487.1 |
| Image | .jpg) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20160079 |
| Publisher | Geological Society of America |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Area | Siberia; Russian Federation |
| Lat/Long WENS | 50.0000 120.0000 75.0000 60.0000 |
| Subjects | environmental geology; geochemistry; igneous and metamorphic petrology; mercury; mercury geochemistry; isotopes; isotope ratios; isotope geochemistry; marine organisms; marine sediments; marine ecology;
marine environments; traps |
| Illustrations | location maps; formulae; graphs; stratigraphic columns; schematic diagrams |
| Program | GEM2: Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Western Arctic, High Arctic LIP |
| Released | 2016 11 08 |
| Abstract | Sedimentary records from the NW margin of Pangea and the Tethys show consistently anomalous high Hg levels at the Latest Permian extinction boundary. Hg stable isotope data through this interval show
that background d202Hg values are consistent with normal marine conditions, but exhibit negative shifts coincident with increased Hg concentrations. Hg isotope mass independent fractionation (?199Hg) trends are consistent with increased volcanic
input in deep-water marine environments. In contrast, near-shore environments have ?199Hg signatures are consistent with enhanced soil and/or biomass input. We hypothesize that the deep-water signature represents an overall global increase in
volcanic Hg input and that this isotope signature is overwhelmed in near-shore locations due to Hg input from massive soil erosion and wildfire. This suggests that high productivity near shore regions of the world oceans may have experienced enhanced
loading of Hg during the extinction event. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Previous work by NRCan scientists was the first to recognise that major periods of volcanism in Earth history (Large Igneous Province - or LIP events)was
associated with significant release of toxic mercury to the environment. While this can impact life it also serves as a time marker in the sedimentary record that allows global correlation of sedimentary rock. The current work in the Canadian Arctic
employs the novel use of stable isotopes of mercury to understand how these toxic metals are globally distributed and incorporated into the environment. Specifically it demonstrates that major wildfires are an additional source of mercury during
periods of major volcanic eruption. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 298841 |
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