TY - JOUR
T1 - Paleohydrological and paleoenvironmental changes recorded in terrestrial sediments of the Paleocene-Eocene boundary (Normandy, France)
AU - Garel, Sylvain
AU - Schnyder, Johann
AU - Jacob, Jérémy
AU - Dupuis, Christian
AU - Boussafir, Mohammed
AU - Le Milbeau, Claude
AU - Storme, Jean Yves
AU - Iakovleva, Alina I.
AU - Yans, Johan
AU - Baudin, François
AU - Fléhoc, Christine
AU - Quesnel, Florence
PY - 2013/4/15
Y1 - 2013/4/15
N2 - The Paleocene-Eocene boundary (55.8. Ma) is associated with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which is characterized by a negative Carbon Isotope Excursion (CIE), reflecting a major perturbation of the carbon cycle, and by an extreme and rapid global warming. The Cap d'Ailly area (Upper Normandy, France), in which previous studies have revealed the Paleocene-Eocene transition, is a reference locality for organic-rich terrestrial and lagoonal deposits of the "Sparnacian" stage, widespread in Northwestern Europe. In this study, we focus on the organic matter content of the Vasterival section. Organic data (Rock-Eval, palynofacies, biomarker analyses and compound specific isotope analyses) were acquired in order to constrain the paleoenvironmental and paleohydrological changes that occurred at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Stable carbon isotope compositions of higher plant leaf wax n-alkanes reveal a CIE of - 4.5‰, extending throughout the second half of the studied section. Palynofacies observations reveal: (i) an abrupt shift from a closed, quiescent marsh pond to an open eutrophic swamp subjected to algal blooms, concomitant with the onset of the CIE; and (ii) the evolution from a swamp to a tidal flat due to the marine transgression that occurred during the PETM. Higher plant biomarkers and their hydrogen isotopic composition compared to nitrogen analyses suggest: (i) dry episodes just before the PETM that may help to understand the triggering of this hyperthermal event; and (ii) a moister climate associated with a stronger seasonality during the early PETM.
AB - The Paleocene-Eocene boundary (55.8. Ma) is associated with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which is characterized by a negative Carbon Isotope Excursion (CIE), reflecting a major perturbation of the carbon cycle, and by an extreme and rapid global warming. The Cap d'Ailly area (Upper Normandy, France), in which previous studies have revealed the Paleocene-Eocene transition, is a reference locality for organic-rich terrestrial and lagoonal deposits of the "Sparnacian" stage, widespread in Northwestern Europe. In this study, we focus on the organic matter content of the Vasterival section. Organic data (Rock-Eval, palynofacies, biomarker analyses and compound specific isotope analyses) were acquired in order to constrain the paleoenvironmental and paleohydrological changes that occurred at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Stable carbon isotope compositions of higher plant leaf wax n-alkanes reveal a CIE of - 4.5‰, extending throughout the second half of the studied section. Palynofacies observations reveal: (i) an abrupt shift from a closed, quiescent marsh pond to an open eutrophic swamp subjected to algal blooms, concomitant with the onset of the CIE; and (ii) the evolution from a swamp to a tidal flat due to the marine transgression that occurred during the PETM. Higher plant biomarkers and their hydrogen isotopic composition compared to nitrogen analyses suggest: (i) dry episodes just before the PETM that may help to understand the triggering of this hyperthermal event; and (ii) a moister climate associated with a stronger seasonality during the early PETM.
KW - Carbon isotopes
KW - Continental ecosystems
KW - Dieppe-Hampshire Basin
KW - Hydrogen isotopes
KW - Paleoenvironments
KW - Paleohydrology
KW - PETM
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875890311&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.02.035
DO - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.02.035
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84875890311
SN - 0031-0182
VL - 376
SP - 184
EP - 199
JO - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
JF - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
ER -