A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander
The dramatic diversification of animal groups known as the Cambrian Explosion (evolution's 'Big Bang') remains an unsolved puzzle in Earth Science. The Vendian–Cambrian interval is characterized by anomalously high rates of apparent plate motion, interpreted as True Polar Wander (TP...
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:ecv4v-zd955 2024-09-15T18:30:12+00:00 A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander Kirschvink, Joseph L. Raub, Timothy D. 2003-01 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(03)00011-7 unknown Elsevier https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(03)00011-7 oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:ecv4v-zd955 eprintid:36529 resolverid:CaltechAUTHORS:20130123-095729787 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Other Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 335(1), 65-78, (2003-01) Neoproterozoic Cambrian Paleomagnetism True polar wander Methane Clathrate Evolution Néoprotérozoı̈que Cambrien Paléomagnétisme Dérive « vraie » des pôles Méthane Évolution info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2003 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(03)00011-7 2024-08-06T15:35:01Z The dramatic diversification of animal groups known as the Cambrian Explosion (evolution's 'Big Bang') remains an unsolved puzzle in Earth Science. The Vendian–Cambrian interval is characterized by anomalously high rates of apparent plate motion, interpreted as True Polar Wander (TPW), and by more than a dozen large, high-frequency perturbations in carbon isotopes that dwarf all others observed through the past 65 million years. We suggest that these biological, tectonic, and geochemical events are intimately related in the following fashion. First, tropical continental margins and shelf-slopes which formed during fragmentation of the supercontinent Rodinia accumulated massive quantities of isotopically-light organic carbon during Late Neoproterozoic time, as indicated by strikingly heavy isotope ratios in inorganic carbon during interglacial intervals. Second, an initial phase of Vendian TPW moved these organic-rich deposits to high latitude, where conditions favored trapping biogenic methane in layers of gas hydrate and perhaps permafrost. Continued sedimentation during Late Vendian time added additional hydrate/gas storage volume and stabilized underlying units until the geothermal gradient moved them out of the clathrate stability field, building up deep reservoirs of highly pressurized methane. Finally, a burst of TPW brought these deposits back to the Tropics, where they gradually warmed and were subjected to regional-scale thermohaline eddy variation and related sedimentation regime changes. Responding to the stochastic character of such changes, each reservoir reached a critical failure point independently at times throughout the Cambrian. By analogy with the Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum event, these methane deposits yield transient, greenhouse-induced pulses of global warming when they erupt. Temperature correlates powerfully with biodiversity; the biochemical kinetics of metabolism at higher temperature decrease generation time and maintain relatively rich and dense invertebrate populations. ... Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Comptes Rendus Geoscience 335 1 65 78 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Neoproterozoic Cambrian Paleomagnetism True polar wander Methane Clathrate Evolution Néoprotérozoı̈que Cambrien Paléomagnétisme Dérive « vraie » des pôles Méthane Évolution |
spellingShingle |
Neoproterozoic Cambrian Paleomagnetism True polar wander Methane Clathrate Evolution Néoprotérozoı̈que Cambrien Paléomagnétisme Dérive « vraie » des pôles Méthane Évolution Kirschvink, Joseph L. Raub, Timothy D. A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
topic_facet |
Neoproterozoic Cambrian Paleomagnetism True polar wander Methane Clathrate Evolution Néoprotérozoı̈que Cambrien Paléomagnétisme Dérive « vraie » des pôles Méthane Évolution |
description |
The dramatic diversification of animal groups known as the Cambrian Explosion (evolution's 'Big Bang') remains an unsolved puzzle in Earth Science. The Vendian–Cambrian interval is characterized by anomalously high rates of apparent plate motion, interpreted as True Polar Wander (TPW), and by more than a dozen large, high-frequency perturbations in carbon isotopes that dwarf all others observed through the past 65 million years. We suggest that these biological, tectonic, and geochemical events are intimately related in the following fashion. First, tropical continental margins and shelf-slopes which formed during fragmentation of the supercontinent Rodinia accumulated massive quantities of isotopically-light organic carbon during Late Neoproterozoic time, as indicated by strikingly heavy isotope ratios in inorganic carbon during interglacial intervals. Second, an initial phase of Vendian TPW moved these organic-rich deposits to high latitude, where conditions favored trapping biogenic methane in layers of gas hydrate and perhaps permafrost. Continued sedimentation during Late Vendian time added additional hydrate/gas storage volume and stabilized underlying units until the geothermal gradient moved them out of the clathrate stability field, building up deep reservoirs of highly pressurized methane. Finally, a burst of TPW brought these deposits back to the Tropics, where they gradually warmed and were subjected to regional-scale thermohaline eddy variation and related sedimentation regime changes. Responding to the stochastic character of such changes, each reservoir reached a critical failure point independently at times throughout the Cambrian. By analogy with the Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum event, these methane deposits yield transient, greenhouse-induced pulses of global warming when they erupt. Temperature correlates powerfully with biodiversity; the biochemical kinetics of metabolism at higher temperature decrease generation time and maintain relatively rich and dense invertebrate populations. ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kirschvink, Joseph L. Raub, Timothy D. |
author_facet |
Kirschvink, Joseph L. Raub, Timothy D. |
author_sort |
Kirschvink, Joseph L. |
title |
A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
title_short |
A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
title_full |
A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
title_fullStr |
A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
title_full_unstemmed |
A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
title_sort |
methane fuse for the cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(03)00011-7 |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_source |
Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 335(1), 65-78, (2003-01) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(03)00011-7 oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:ecv4v-zd955 eprintid:36529 resolverid:CaltechAUTHORS:20130123-095729787 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(03)00011-7 |
container_title |
Comptes Rendus Geoscience |
container_volume |
335 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
65 |
op_container_end_page |
78 |
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1810471670003007488 |